Ninja Storm: Power of the Sun
by thunderyoshi
Summary: After word reaches the Celestial Academy that the Wind and Thunder Academies have fallen, Ari, a young Sun Ninja with strange powers, is given the Celestial morpher, but she'll have to face not only monsters, but the challenge of earning the respect of the other Rangers.
1. The Rising Sun

**Welcome to my new story! I hope you like it, I kinda ended up creating it when I was thinking about not wanting to finish Mystic Force so soon!**

**Let me know what you think! I won't be updating probably until about Sunday or Monday due to friends coming up!**

**I own nothing but Ari, the Celestial Ninja Academy, and whatever else is unfamiliar!**

Chapter 1: The Rising Sun

It was a pleasant day in Briarwood, and a couple of teens were taking advantage of the nice weather at the skate park. One figure, lanky and dressed in cargo shorts and a plain black tshirt, shot past a couple of the skaters on a skateboard, shooting up a ramp and spinning several times before returning to the ground, sliding back down before coming to a stop in front of a young man that was almost a head taller.

"Show off," he spoke in an Australian accent as Ari pulled her helmet off. Her black hair fell down to her shoulders as she shook it out, and she smiled widely.

"Do I detect jealousy in your voice, Xander?" she asked innocently. Her best friend just rolled his eyes and clipped on his helmet, before ruffling her hair. Ari swatted him away and checked her watch. "I better go before I'm late for class," she kicked her board up and caught it easily.

"Can't you just skip for once? It's just a martial arts class," Xander frowned at her as he folded his arms.

"It's not _just _a martial arts class," Ari slapped his arm. "I like it. I'll catch you later," she walked off, raising a hand as a goodbye. As soon as she was out of sight of the park, Ari looked around to ensure that nobody was around, and shot off at an unregistered speed, bouncing out of Briarwood and towards the mountains that separated Briarwood from Reefside.

Slowing to a stop as she reached the forest that blanketed the mountain area, Ari looked around with a soft smile. She tucked her black hair behind her ear and looked around. The forest was silent, except for the birds that sang overhead. Still carrying her skateboard in her hands, she began the now much slower trek up the mountain, humming to herself.

She stopped as she reached the lake near the top. It was peaceful, and one of Ari's favourite places. It was untouched, clear and sparkling. After taking a moment to admire the beautiful sight, Ari stepped out onto the water. However, as her blue converse hi-tops touched the water, they balanced on it rather than passing through the water. She walked towards the middle of the lake, and as soon as her feet gently touched the centre of the lake, a large ripple spread out, flowing out and away from Ari. As it reached the ends of the lake, a light sparked and opened a portal that Ari stepped through with no hesitation.

On the other side of the portal was something completely different to the forest and lake that the young teenager had left behind. A large area, complete with an old fashioned building and training area, lay before her. Ari smiled brightly and walked through the archway, looking around at her fellow students. Each dressed in black gear with either a gold or silver outline, they practised, not paying her any heed.

"Ariel, there you are," Ari tried not to grimace at the use of her full first name, and turned around to face her Sensei. He was an older man, with grey streaks running through his dark brown hair. He was a patient, kind man, with deep brown eyes that seemed aware of everything.

"Sensei? What is it?" Ari bowed respectfully, before following the man into the building as he indicated for her to do so. He led her up to his office, and shut the door after she walked inside. Ari had been inside the office many times, usually for a lecture on not pulling pranks on her fellow students.

"I have received word from Sensei Watanabe that the Wind Ninja Academy has been attacked," Ari's green eyes widened as she stared at her teacher. "Most of the students, except for three, have been captured, and neither of us have heard anything from Sensei Omino, or Sensei Minami. I fear the Thunder Ninja Academy and the Fire Ninja Academy have fallen," the Sensei, whose clothing bore a silver outline, turned to Ari.

"No offence Sensei, but why are you telling me this?" Ari asked curiously.

"Because you are my best student, Ariel, and I know that it is only a matter of time before the Celestial Ninja Academy is attacked as well," Ari stared at him, still not understanding. "I want you to have this," her Sensei held out a wooden box that had been on his desk for as long as Ari could remember. Slowly, the girl took it from him and opened it to reveal a large device that was black in colour, with gold and silver streaks running along it.

"What is this?" she looked up at the teacher, who smiled softly.

"It is your Celestial Morpher," he explained. "Long ago, an evil came to pass that took the schools uniting to defeat. Sensei Watanabe has passed on the three Wind Morphers to his remaining students. I am not sure of the two from the Thunder Ninja Academy, and unfortunately the Flame Morpher and the sister Morpher to your one were destroyed long ago. All you do to activate it, is say Celestial Storm, Ranger Form," Ari stood in stunned silence as the man explained this to her.

"But...why me?" she managed to say after a moment. "I'm only 15! Aren't there older ninjas who are better for the job?" Ari asked, sounding almost desperate as Sensei watched her, still smiling.

"No, there aren't. While you do occasionally show some discipline issues, you are also the best candidate," he told her, refusing to take back the box as she held it out to him. "You are honourable and kind, and that is what we need for a problem like this one. Age does not mean that you are automatically better, Ariel," he spoke as he pushed the box back to her, and Ari looked down uncertainly at it.

"Ok...if you're sure," she agreed, taking the morpher from the box. Before she could place it on her wrist, an explosion outside shook the building, and they both looked over to the window sharply.

"I fear that giving you that was not a moment too soon," Sensei hurried to the window and looked outside. "Stay hidden. You cannot be captured. It could mean the end of us all. Tell no-one of this power," Ari nodded, watching as he ran out of the room. Slipping the morpher into her pocket, Ari returned the box to the table and ran out of the room. Another explosion shook the building even more, nearly knocking the ninja off her feet, but she kept running.

"Sensei Sugiura, what a pleasure it is to finally meet you," Ari skidded to a stop and peered out a window with wide eyes, and found her teacher facing a strangely clad man with a long black ponytail. He wore a long black coat, and was accompanied by two strange girls, and two creatures. The other ninjas were all desperately trying to fight off their attackers, and failing miserably.

"You...how I did not expect your return, I do not know Lothor. All I know is that you won't succeed," Sensei told the attacker firmly, falling into a fighting stance.

"I need to do something..." Ari whispered, but stopped as she caught her Sensei's gaze. He shook his head very carefully, ensuring that Lothor did not notice. Tears burned in Ari's eyes, and she ran away from the window.

"Hey look, another one!" one of the girls noticed Ari as they stormed into the building, destroying everything in sight.

"Ew, what is she wearing?" the other girl sneered as Ari stood in front of them.

"Forget about her, she's just a kid," the first girl, who had pink hair, scoffed. Ari's fists clenched, but she managed to quell her anger long enough to run away, narrowly avoiding the blast of dark energy thrown her way. The two girls cackled and continued to pelt her with magic, and Ari looked up, letting out a terrified cry as the walls collapsed on top of her.

1-2-3-4-5

Slowly coming to, Ari woke to the sound of total silence. She groaned as her head hurt, and it took a moment to remember what had happened. The Celestial Ninja Academy had been attacked, and the school had been destroyed. She was surrounded by darkness, and when she held her hands up, they touched something solid that didn't budge.

"Hello?" she called out, but there was no reply. "Someone, please, help me!" she yelled, but nobody responded. "Great, just great, Sensei entrusts me with saving the damn world, and I get stuck under the school with no way out!" Ari yelled as she continued to push uselessly. "Dammit...Xander was right, I should have just skipped class today..." she mumbled as tears welled up in her eyes again. She clamped them shut, wishing desperately for a way out, and suddenly she felt the sensation of falling. She landed heavily on the ground, and pain shot through her body. "What the heck?" Ari sat up, looking around. She was a couple of metres away from what was left of the school. "Did I fall?" she wondered, looking up, only to find the sky above her. Completely confused by what was going on, Ari looked around. Small fires and destroyed equipment was all that was left of the academy she had been at for several years. "Oh, the Morpher!" Ari realised, and checked her pocket. Much to her relief, it was still there. She attached it to her wrist, and stood up.

She had no idea what to do. Sensei had told her not to tell anyone about her morpher, and she had no clue who to tell about the fallen school. All of them were gone now, and Ari had the sinking suspicion that all of her fellow sun and moon students had been captured, along with their teacher. "Wait..." Ari's eyes lit up as she realised what she could do. "The Wind Ninja Academy, there's still some of them left, including Sensei Watanabe. Where is it again?" she wondered, before remembering. "Guess I'm going to Blue Bay Harbour," Ari determined, and ran off.

1-2-3-4-5

Walking through Blue Bay Harbour, Ari realised the downside to her plan. She had absolutely no idea how to find the Wind Ninja Academy.

"Maybe I should have thought this through..." Ari mumbled. "Granted there's nobody to help me with that...I dunno," she ran a hand through her hair as she looked around, getting used to the sights. As she grumbled to herself, growing more irritated, she noticed a shop that made her stop. Before she even thought about it, Ari walked inside, looking around.

"Hey, welcome to Storm Chargers," a red haired woman smiled pleasantly at her, and Ari gave a shy smile. "I haven't seen you around before, are you new to town?" she asked, and Ari nodded.

"Yeah, I just, uh, I'm just visiting," she told her. "Looking for a new skateboard," Ari looked around, her gaze on the boards hanging up nearby. When she had been leaving the academy, Ari had found what was left of her board.

"Well if you need any help, let me know. I'm Kelly by the way," she introduced herself, and Ari smiled, nodding back.

"Thanks," Ari walked over to the boards and studied them curiously, looking for one she liked. She reached out and lifted one that had a gold and silver bottom, and considered it.

"I'd go for a smaller one," hearing a voice, Ari looked around at a young man, about 18, standing beside her. He wore a pair of shorts and a baggy red hoodie, and had short black hair. "If you're wanting to start out skateboarding, try a smaller one," he suggested.

"Uh, I'm not starting out..." Ari frowned at him, automatically irritated.

"Really? Alright," the ninja decided to ignore him and continue looking at the board in her hands.

"Shane, leave her alone, just cause she's a kid doesn't mean you should be assuming things," Ari looked around as a brown haired young man told off his friend. He shot her a smile, but Ari just turned and walked up to the till.

"Ignore those two, they're idiots," Kelly stood behind the till as she shot the pair glares. "Well, Dustin means well, but Shane I'm not so sure about," she commented, smirking, and the one that Ari assumed was Dustin grinned as Shane rolled his eyes.

"It's alright, I'm used to it," Ari shrugged as she paid the owner. She had endured it since she had started skating, and she knew that when she looked even younger because she didn't wear make-up. "Thanks," she gave a weak smile to Kelly, and left Storm Chargers. She caught the owner shouting at the pair, and couldn't help but smile, before she heard screaming nearby. Ari reacted instantly, dropping her skateboard and kicking off. She followed the sound of the screaming, and shortly encountered a monster chasing off civilians.

"That's right, run!" he laughed, and Ari frowned. She sped up, and leapt off her board, planting a kick in the back of his head. The monster stumbled and fell as Ari landed on her board again and slowed to a stop. "Who did that?!" he roared, leaping up and spinning around. "A kid?" he sounded surprised.

"If I hear that again I swear, I might actually get angry," Ari sighed, and stepped off the new skateboard. She grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled, revealing her ninja gear, which had a gold line down the front and a patch over the heart with a sun on it.

"A ninja? You're not one of the three!" the monster yelled. "Not that it matters, you're puny!" he mocked, and ran at Ari. He threw a punch, and Ari's head leaned to the side to avoid it.

"I really hate when people underestimate their opponent," she commented, before swinging a kick that was more powerful than her scrawny form gave her credit for. The monster cried out and staggered to the side, and Ari moved fluidly, lifting her other leg and planting it in his torso. The monster stumbled backwards and growled.

"Alright, you don't want me to underestimate you?! Fine!" he roared, and blasted dark energy at her. Ari narrowly avoided it, but she felt the power behind it. As she turned back to the monster, he slammed his fist into her chest and she cried out, stumbling and falling.

"Oh, that was good," she commented, and got back to her feet. "But not good enough. May as well try this thing out," Ari looked to the bulky device on her wrist. "CELESTIAL STORM, RANGER FORM, HA!" the wind picked up around her, and when it died down, she stood in a golden suit, with black netted sleeves and bottoms under the skirt. The image of a swan was on the helmet above the visor, and the symbol of the sun was emblazoned on her chest. "Power of the Sun!" Ari called.

"Shiny suit, but it won't do much to help you!" the monster yelled, and Ari shrugged.

"Well this is the first time I've tried it out, so we'll see," she grinned, and drew her sword. She then ran at the monster, and started to fight him off. The teen was amazed at the boost in power that the suit gave her. She was faster, stronger, and her suit shielded her from the few hits that her enemy managed to get in.

"What the heck?!" Ari kicked the monster back and instead of just stumbling, he went flying backwards. She looked around, and saw three other Rangers in Red, Yellow and Blue. "Dude, who's that? I thought there were just us!" the one in Yellow exclaimed in confusion.

"Take a look, she's from the Celestial Academy," the one in Blue sighed, clearly already exasperated by him.

"The what?" the Red Ranger asked, and the girl with them just groaned.

"I'm still here you know!" the monster recovered, and Ari swung her sword up, catching him as he got close. The monster roared out in pain, and Ari turned to face him again. She returned her sword to its sheath, and held out her hands.

"Solar blades!" Ari summoned two golden blades that were longer than her katana, and grabbed them so that they were pointed away from the monster.

"What way is that to hold swords?" the monster demanded, and Ari looked down.

"Yeah, that is kinda weird," she frowned as she heard the Red Ranger agree. Instead of replying, she ran at the monster and swung up, hitting him hard. He cried out, and Ari spun, slashing at him with her other sword. She did this a couple of times, before jumping back and slamming the base of the hilts together. They joined, and Ari started to spin them.

"Solar strike!" she called, and a burst of golden energy shot at the monster, slamming into him. He cried out, and fell backwards, exploding.

"Wow, that was awesome!" the three ran over, and Ari turned to face them. "I've never seen moves like that before, it was amazing," the Yellow Ranger spoke brightly, and Ari blushed under her helmet.

"Thanks, but it wasn't that great," she shrugged.

"Who are you? And why are you here?" the Red Ranger asked, and Ari stepped back, a little surprised by his hostility.

"Hey, chill," the Blue Ranger spoke softly.

"I'm here because Lothor attacked my academy too," Ari told them softly. "Everyone was taken, and I didn't know where else to go. My Sensei told me about you guys, and I thought...I don't really know," she lowered her head, tears burning at her eyes again.

"Hey, we're in the same boat," the Blue Ranger told her. "We're going to get those other ninjas back. Will you help us?" she asked, and Ari lifted her head in surprise.

"Of...of course!" she nodded quickly, and the other girl demorphed, revealing a tall, pretty blonde that made Ari feel downright average.

"I'm Tori," she introduced herself, and Ari demorphed as well.

"You?!" the two other Rangers demorphed, and Ari's eyes widened as she looked up at the two boys from the sports shop. "_You're _the Gold Ranger? How?" Shane demanded.

"Well I think the morpher does it, I'm a little fuzzy on how," Ari replied with a shrug.

"Yeah but you're just-"

"I'm 15. Not a kid," she cut Dustin off as he spoke incredulously. "And in case you have some kind of short term memory loss, I held my own pretty damn well there," her fists were clenched. Even Tori's smile had gone. All three were looking at her with the same scepticism that the older ninjas had done when she had been placed in a higher class. Not to mention the skate park.

"We better get back to Ninja Ops and see what Sensei has to say about all this," Shane grunted as he turned away. Ari willed her tears not to fill her eyes. She was a crybaby and she knew it. It didn't help matters in the slightest. She followed the three as they walked away.

1-2-3-4-5

"So, you're the new Ranger," to say that Ari was utterly confused was an understatement. She stood in front of a guinea pig who was dressed in clothes that she had seen her own sensei in.

"I...I am," she nodded.

"A bit young," Cam commented. He was Sensei Watanabe's son, the tech genius.

"Age doesn't mean that you're automatically better," Ari repeated what her Sensei had said what felt like years ago, but was in reality only a few hours ago. Cam leaned back in his seat, looking impressed.

"And that is certainly true," Sensei agreed. "I saw your skills before you morphed. You will be a valuable member of this team," he told her, and Ari went red, before looking uncertainly around at the others. While Tori and Dustin managed small smiles, Shane didn't look impressed in the slightest.

"Sensei, she's-"

"Your new team-mate," Sensei cut him off sternly. "We will need all the help we can get to defeat Lothor and save the captured ninjas," he told the Red Ranger, and Cam smirked from his seat.

"Especially someone who knows what they're doing," Ari couldn't help but grin as Shane's glare turned to Cam. Sensei cleared his throat, and Cam spun in his seat so he was facing away, but Ari could still see his grin. When he noticed her still watching, his grin softened to a welcoming smile, and Ari immediately felt better. At least someone was welcoming. Her fists tightened as she felt determined. She would prove herself to her fellow Rangers, and she would help save the others.

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Looming Thunder

Chapter 2: Looming Thunder

Ari wandered around Ninja Ops, looking around curiously. Sensei had contacted her parents and informed them that she would be staying in Blue Bay Harbour as part of her training. He had promised that she would keep up with school work, which Cam had been volunteered to help with. Until the captured ninjas were rescued, she would be staying with Cam and his father.

"You know, the whole point of me tutoring you is so that you learn," Cam commented as he watched her wander.

"I guess," Ari smiled and sat down, and listened as Cam taught her history. She scribbled down notes and listened intently, and the genius was surprised when she asked questions as well. They spent a couple of hours doing this, until Cam finally decided that it was enough.

"You're pretty smart," he commented, and Ari just smiled slightly.

"Nowhere near as smart as you, but I guess I'm smart enough to understand what you're saying," she shrugged as she got up and stretched.

"That's more than the other three," Cam rolled his eyes as Ari collected her notes, which were now spread across the table. "Hang on, I didn't talk about this," Cam frowned as he lifted the papers from the table.

"Oh I..." Ari went red. "That's from last night," she mumbled, and Cam looked up. He hadn't realised that she had been studying alone. He taught her in the morning, and left her to do whatever she wanted for the rest of the day, which mainly consisted of skateboarding. "I'm gonna go, I'll see you later," after grabbing the last of her notes, Ari darted out of Ninja Ops.

"She is smarter than she gives herself credit for," Sensei commented from where he sat, having been meditating.

"Way smarter. That was stuff from a couple of years ahead," Cam agreed. "I'm going to have to up my teaching..." he mused, and Sensei smiled softly as his son turned back to the computer.

1-2-3-4-5

Ari walked into Storm Chargers, where she knew that Dustin worked for Kelly. She liked the shop owner, who always treated her kindly.

"Hey Ari," the red haired young woman smiled at her. "What can I do for you today?" she asked, and as Ari went to reply, Dustin shot past.

"Come on Kel! We gotta go if we wanna make it to the track before it gets slammed!" he exclaimed, and Kelly rolled her eyes.

"Give me a second," she told him, and Dustin bounced impatiently on the spot.

"Oh, are you closing up? I can come back later," Ari offered, but Kelly shook her head and walked over to the girl who was only a little smaller than her. Even at 15, Ari was unusually tall for her age. She hadn't exactly filled out, however, giving her a lanky appearance.

"Don't worry about Dustin, I can spare a moment," Kelly told her, and Ari smiled.

"My friend asked if I could pick up some skating stuff, since it's way better here than in Briarwood," she grinned, and Kelly smiled brightly at her. She always loved to hear that, Ari had found. She had bragged to Xander about the quality of the gear in Storm Chargers when she had been talking to him, after telling him that she wouldn't be back in Briarwood for a while.

"I'm glad to hear that, what do you need?" Kelly led Ari over to the skating equipment as Dustin groaned impatiently. Finally Kelly and Ari finished up, and Ari paid for what she got.

"Geez, Xander better pay me back," she grumbled, shaking her head.

"Well you could always work here if you wanted?" Kelly offered, and Ari blinked several times. "I could always use some extra help," she shrugged, and Ari considered it for a moment before nodding.

"Sure," she agreed.

"Great. You can start now if you want, I always need help with Dustin," Kelly grinned as she looked over at Dustin, who pouted. Ari nodded, and they headed off to the Motocross trail.

1-2-3-4-5

Dustin shot over the hills as he raced around the track, and Ari watched in awe as Kelly timed him.

"He's really good," Ari commented as she watched the Yellow Ranger fly around the corner, ahead of most of the other racers. Kelly nodded as she glanced up from the timer, before both of them frowned. Two more bikes hurtled around the track, closing in on Dustin fast. As he flew over another hill, the two bikes overtook him, passing the finishing line. "What happened? I blinked and I missed it," Ari looked to her new boss.

"Looks like there's some new talent in town," Kelly mused as Dustin rode up to them. He pulled off his helmet, and revealed that he looked just as confused as they did.

"You ever seen them before?" he asked as he glanced over at the pair. They rode to a clear spot nearby as Kelly shook her head.

"They ride like factory pros, I would have remembered them," Kelly replied as she watched them.

"I'm just glad they don't race 125," Dustin grinned and Kelly laughed. Ari watched curiously as the mysterious pair pulled off their helmets. The one in dark red gear was much taller and had blond hair that fell into his eyes, and the one in deep blue gear was short, with short dark hair. "I'm gonna go say hey," Dustin decided, bounding down the hill towards the pair.

"Keep an eye on him will you?" Kelly asked as she started clearing up their things to put into the van. Ari nodded and followed the Yellow Ranger down the hill.

"Hey there, how's it going?" Dustin greeted the pair as he reached them, and Ari caught up to him, smiling slightly.

"Track's a little soggy," the blond replied, not appearing too friendly as he climbed off his bike. He barely even looked at them, and Dustin's smile faltered slightly.

"That didn't seem to slow you guys down," he pressed ahead anyways as Ari watched the pair curiously.

"I'm Blake," the shorter one spoke up, and rolled his eyes at the other racer. "This is my brother Hunter," he added as the blond made no move to speak up.

"You guys are brothers?" Dustin couldn't hide his surprise as he looked from one to the other.

"We're adopted," Hunter rolled his eyes, clearly used to it. Dustin nodded and looked away, looking uncomfortable as Ari tilted her head slightly.

"Oh right, cool," Dustin struggled to think of what to say. "My name's Dustin. This is Ari. We work together," he told them, and Ari raised a hand in greeting as they glanced to her. "I haven't seen you before, where's your home track?" he asked curiously.

"You wouldn't have heard of it," Hunter snapped before his brother could reply.

"Easy bro," Blake smiled weakly at his brother. "And he wonders why he doesn't have any friends," he grinned as he looked back at Ari and Dustin. "You were pretty fast out there," Blake told Dustin, who shook his head.

"Yeah right, I must be giving up a couple of seconds per lap to you guys-"

"You get too much air-time in your jumps. It slows you down," Hunter interrupted, making Dustin's smile fall instantly.

"He's right," Blake confirmed with a nod as Ari frowned, not liking how rude the blond was. "Dark and brooding, but right," Blake shot his brother a frown. "What are you doing now? Wanna follow us?" he offered, but Dustin shook his head, looking a little disappointed.

"Sorry man, I gotta be somewhere," he told the short teen. "Rain check?" he asked, and Blake nodded.

"No worries," Hunter's grin didn't look too friendly. "Next time," he said as he got off his bike and walked off. Blake said goodbye and headed off as well, and Dustin groaned.

"Man, sometimes I hate being a Ranger," he complained, and Ari looked up at him as they walked back up the hill.

"I think it's pretty cool," she shrugged, and ran up the hill as Dustin stopped and watched her, looking surprised.

1-2-3-4-5

While Dustin helped finish packing up his bike with Kelly, Ari went on ahead to training, leaving Dustin to head to the forest himself.

"Hey Tori! Shane! Ari?" Dustin tried as he arrived at their training spot and found that nobody was around. "Don't tell me I missed training again..." he groaned when silence was the only reply he received. "Why do I do this to myself?" he mumbled, turning in circles for any sign of the others. "Come on you guys!" he called out again, but instead of having the others reply, he was greeted by a group of Kelzacks that surrounded him. Trying not to show his fear, he fell into a fighting stance, and the Kelzacks attacked.

Dustin blocked the first attack and ducked, before turning to another and kicked it out of the way. He turned and punched another so it slammed into a tree, but it wasn't long until the large group overwhelmed him and tossed him to the ground.

As the Kelzacks held their swords over the Yellow Ranger, the rumbling of bike engines filled the air and made them look up quickly. Three bikes hurtled towards them, with the other Rangers riding them. Tori rode a blue bike with gold outlines, while Shane rode a red one with similar outlines, and Ari was riding a gold bike with a silver trim. The three fired energy blasts at the Kelzacks as they shot past.

"Yeah, awesome!" Shane cheered as he took out the Kelzacks around him. Dustin watched in awe as the three wiped out the attackers with ease, before regrouping once they were done. Dustin caught up to them, morphed and on his own bike.

"Hey Dustin, you made it!" Shane called as they sped down the road. Dustin nodded, giving them a thumbs up as his way of conveying his pure excitement.

"Look, the freaks are back!" Tori noticed, and the four turned in different directions to take out their enemies. Ari spun in a circle, blasting any Kelzacks that got too close to her, and she grinned under her helmet.

"This is definitely different to riding a skateboard. I love it!" she cheered as she took out the Kelzacks. "Maybe I should try it out as an actual hobby..." she mused, before joining up with the others as they regrouped again to face off the last of the Kelzacks.

"Wow, this is fun!" Tori cheered.

"Yeah, I'm just warming up," Shane nodded.

"Too bad there had to be Kelzacks," Dustin complained as he leaned on the handlebars and looked over at the last of the Kelzacks.

"Not for long!" Shane called out, and they revved up their bikes and shot at the Kelzacks. The four flew through the air, shooting their lasers at them, taking them out with no opposition. The strange creatures went up in flames, defeated.

1-2-3-4-5

After their battle was over, the Rangers sped back over to the mobile command centre that Cam had created, and dismounted. Dustin and Shane were making their excitement known as they all demorphed, and Cam walked over, shaking his head.

"Hey guys," he greeted as he walked over to Tori's bike and started examining it.

"Hey, these bikes work pretty good," Shane commented as he sat on his bike.

"You know Shane, you were lucky," Cam replied, not looking at the Red Ranger. "They still need some fine-tuning," he told him, before turning to Dustin to give him his backpack before speaking to him quietly.

"These are really cool," Ari commented as she studied her bike curiously.

"Are you even old enough to ride a bike?" Shane asked with a raised eyebrow, and Ari looked up sharply.

"Shane, stop it," Tori scolded him, but Shane didn't pay her any heed, his eyes still on the young Sun Ninja. Ari didn't reply, instead she just looked back at her bike, her fingers brushing the jagged front. Shane just rolled his eyes and walked over to Dustin to talk to him about being late, and Cam walked back over.

"Everything ok?" he asked as he saw Tori's frown and Ari's blank expression.

"Yeah," Ari looked up and smiled. "You need help with these?" she offered, and Cam nodded. As Ari helped to load the Tsunami Cycles back into the truck, Cam glanced at Tori, who glanced to Shane and rolled her eyes. Cam sighed and shook his head, before starting to push Dustin's bike back into the truck.

"You know not to listen to Shane, right?" he asked as Ari went to walk past him. She stopped and a frown showed on her face before she could stop it.

"It's kind of hard, it is Shane after all," Ari had quickly learnt that Shane would have his opinion heard regardless of others. "He's the Red guy anyway, he's the leader," she muttered, and Cam sighed.

"He'll accept you eventually," Cam told her, and Ari shrugged before walking out of the truck. She noticed something in the trees nearby, and looked over quickly. "What's wrong?" Cam asked as he walked past her.

"I thought I saw...nothing," Ari dismissed it and went to collect her bike.

1-2-3-4-5

The Rangers stood in Ninja Ops after being called in by Cam, who was working on his computer.

"There's some subterranean disturbance," he muttered. "This is not good," he summed up, before the lights began to flicker and the ground shook.

Ari barely managed to stay on her feet, before Tori bumped into her and they almost fell to the ground as Shane stumbled nearby.

"What's happening?" Tori called, catching Ari's wrist before the other Ranger could fall. As suddenly as it started, the earthquake stopped, leaving a piece of the ceiling on the ground.

"What was that?" Ari questioned as she walked over and stood beside Cam again, who was already searching for what was going on.

"Seismograhs are picking up some serious activity," he told them, before the screen showed a monster bursting out of the ground.

"There's your reason why," Shane growled.

"That is one massive mole," Tori spoke with disgust as she stared at the monster. Thudding footsteps echoed towards them and Dustin rushed into Ninja Ops and ran over to them.

"Sorry guys, got hung up at the track," he apologised as he breathed heavily. He was unaware of the scowl Shane shot him as he checked out the new monster.

"Better late than never," Shane's voice was flat, and they could hear his irritation clear as day.

"He's at the Quarry," Cam informed them and Shane straightened up.

"On it," the four stepped away from the computer. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

"NINJA STORM!"

"CELESTIAL STORM!"

"RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Power of Earth!"

"Air!"

"Water!"

"Power of Sun!"

The four Ninjas raced to the Quarry, where they found Terramole walking about complaining about his day. The monster cried out as they blasted him with their lasers and threw him backwards.

"Hey, molehead!" Tori called as he spun around to face his attackers.

"We don't _dig _what you've been doing!" Dustin called as he held his blaster in his hand.

"Oh yeah?" Terramole scoffed. "Well I'm guessing by the spandex, that it's your job to try and stop me!" he mocked as he walked towards them. "Catch me if you can!" he laughed, and dove underground, disappearing.

"Where'd he go?" Shane growled as they looked around, looking for any sign of him as they prepared to defend themselves. Suddenly he burst out of the ground between them all, spinning and slashing them all up their backs.

"Going up!" he laughed as he flew through the air. "Going down!" he then disappeared back into the ground, tunnelling below them again.

"Alright, dig this dirtboy!" Dustin growled. "Ninja Dirt Dive!" he burrowed deep underground to follow Terramole. Smoke rose up from the ground as the two shot at each other, and as they collided with each other, there was a small explosion and Dustin went flying.

"That was down and dirty," Shane commented as they ran over to the fallen Yellow Ranger.

"Terramole in the house!" the monster burst out of the ground and landed nearby. "Watch and learn Rangers, I'm going to trash your city from the inside out!" Terramole leapt back into his hole and disappeared, fleeing the battle.

"Get back here!" they yelled, but it was too late.

1-2-3-4-5

"Hey Ari," the young teen looked over the large box of swimming gear to see Blake grinning at her. The brothers were standing in the doorway of Storm Chargers, looking around. "You seen Dustin anywhere?" the shorter brother asked.

"Yeah, he's in the back, I'll get him for you now," she told them, dropping the box on the ground. She walked into the back, where she found Dustin working on his bike. "Hey, Blake and Hunter are here looking for you," Dustin looked up and grinned widely.

"Thanks Ari," he dropped his tools into the kit and stood up, brushing oil on his jeans before walking past. Ari followed him back out, grabbing the box and opening it to restock the swimwear.

"So you're a skateboarder?" she glanced around again as she hung up a suit, and found the three looking at her.

"Uh, yeah," Ari nodded, smiling shyly.

"You any good?" Hunter asked, a little warmer than their first meeting.

"I...I guess," Ari shrugged modestly.

"Dude, she's awesome!" she looked at Dustin in surprise. "I've seen her moves, she's way talented," Ari looked away as her face mottled red, not understanding why he was being so nice, when none of them believed she had what it took to protect the world from Lothor. "Hey guys!" Dustin looked over to Shane and Tori, calling them over. "Cool, you guys finally get to meet. Shane, Tori, Hunter and Blake," Dustin indicated to each as he said their names.

"Dustin's told us a lot about you," Hunter nodded.

"But not everything," Blake grinned, his eyes on Tori, who blushed and smiled as Shane raised an eyebrow. Ari blinked as she saw the look, before returning to hanging up the swimwear.

"Uh, hey Dustin, you got a minute?" Shane asked, pulling the Yellow Ranger away. As Shane tore into Dustin, Tori spoke with Hunter and Blake, and Ari watched while continuing to work. Xander was always saying that the concept of romance was wasted on her, but she understood it just fine. She just shook her head and kept working, choosing not to get involved.

"Come on Tori, I gotta go," Dustin grabbed Tori's arm and pulled her away from the brothers. "See you guys!" the pair said goodbye as Dustin and Tori left Storm Chargers.

"You coming?" Shane looked to Ari, who nodded as she finished what she was doing. She put the box away and headed off. "Oh, I forgot something, I'll meet you guys there," Shane called, and they nodded, heading off the Ninja Ops.

1-2-3-4-5

Tori and Ari watched with folded arms as Dustin performed push-ups on the table, his punishment for being late.

"97...98...99...100," Dustin collapsed, exhausted as Sensei jumped off his back. "Perhaps now you will learn the importance of punctuality," Sensei lectured him as Dustin groaned.

"And you'll have really nice pecs," Tori added as she leaned on the table with a grin. She laughed as Ari giggled, and the two sat on the table beside the panting Ranger.

"Hey, Dustin," they looked up as Shane walked in. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked as Dustin looked up. He rolled off the table as the smiles faded from Tori and Ari's faces.

"Ok dude, look, I'm sorry-"

"Hey, how well do you know Hunter and Blake?" Shane cut him off before Dustin could finish his apology. "I mean, they come out of nowhere, and suddenly they're your best friends," Dustin smiled weakly and shook his head.

"Dude, it's a motocross thing," he told the Air Ninja. "You've got these skater buds of yours that you hang with and dude, they're total posers, and we don't say a word," Dustin told him, becoming defensive as Shane rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well at least I know what's important here," Shane called as Dustin went to walk away, irritated. Dustin spun around as he struggled not to get angry. "Look, ever since you've been hanging out with these guys man, your priorities are totally messed!" he exclaimed.

"Dude, that's crazy man!" Dustin walked back, and looked to the other two. "Come on, back me up here, Tori, Ari?" he looked to the female Ninjas, who shrugged and looked away. "Oh come on man!" he yelled angrily. "Listen, I admit I've been a bit of an airhead, but-"

"This is _not _Chess Club," Shane hissed at him. "We're talking about the end of the world here! Do you even get that?" he asked.

"Sensei, a little help here?" Dustin looked to their teacher for help.

"You can only help yourself Dustin," Sensei told him firmly. "With your actions, not your words."

"You know what? I can't believe this!" Dustin shouted, turning and storming off. "I'm going riding," he growled as he walked up the stairs. Shane turned back to the two girls, who looked down, feeling bad.

1-2-3-4-5

After another earthquake alerted the Rangers that Terramole had returned, they had left Ninja Ops and headed off to the quarry. They looked around, but there seemed to be no sign of the monster.

"Where is he?" Shane wondered, before Tori cried out.

"Found him!" Shane looked around to see Terramole pulling Tori down into his hole, with Ari holding onto her arms as she tried to stop him.

"Let her go!" Shane aimed his blaster at the monster, who released Tori. The Blue Ranger cried out and fell onto Ari, and Terramole disappeared, reappearing seconds later as he grabbed Shane's ankles and swung him around before throwing him. The Red Ranger crashed to the ground beside where Tori and Ari were lying. "This guy is tough!" Shane growled.

"Where's Dustin?" Tori asked, looking around for any sign of the Yellow Ranger.

"That airhead? His Ranger days are over!" Terramole mocked as he appeared from his hiding place.

"Hey, we're the only ones who can call him an airhead!" Shane yelled back. Tori nodded, and they ran at Terramole again, fighting him off.

"What about you, don't you have a problem with me mocking your friend?" Terramole grabbed Ari as he knocked Tori and Shane out of the way. Ari didn't reply, glaring at him under her helmet as she struggled. He shoved her back, and shot lasers at her. Ari shielded herself with her arms, and a warm feeling filled her up, before she disappeared, much to the surprise of the other Rangers.

"What the heck?" Shane stared at the spot where Ari had been, before she reappeared behind Terramole. She lowered her arms, her eyes wide in surprise.

"What the heck was that?" she wondered, but didn't get a chance to reply as Terramole turned and hit her, throwing her to the ground. He then blasted Tori and Shane with his lasers, and they crashed to the ground as well.

"Guys, hang on!" Dustin finally reached the battle. He leapt off the cliff and slammed his lion hammer at Terramole, but the monster slipped underground before it could hit him. "You can't hide forever..." he looked around, before tightening his grip on his weapon. "Lion Hammer time!" he slammed it into the ground several times, and the pulsations ran along the ground like ripples. "How's this for a big bang?" he called, slamming the ground again. This time Terramole went flying out of his hole, and landed heavily on the ground as the others ran over to Dustin. "You know what I'm thinking!"

"Sonic Fin!"

"Hawk Blaster!"

"Lion Hammer!" the three Wind Rangers combined their weapons, and aimed the Storm Striker at Terramole. "Storm Striker!" they called as he cried out in fear.

"Solar Blades, Solar Strike!" Ari combined her own weapons and started spinning them.

"Dig this!" Dustin called. They fired their cannon as Ari sent her own spinning blast at Terramole, who cried out as he was destroyed. The Rangers cheered victoriously, before Terramole suddenly grew.

"Can you guess who the mole is now?" he called as they looked up.

"Cam, you know the drill!" Dustin spoke into his morpher, and Cam sent their Zords as Ari backed away.

"_Ari, I believe I've found your Zord as well_!" Cam's voice echoed through Ari's morpher, taking her by surprise. "_Sending it to you now_!" he called, and Ari looked up as a gold and white Swan Zord flew towards the battle.

"Awesome!" Ari couldn't help but laugh, and leapt up. "Swan Zord, battle formation!" she called as she landed in the cockpit. She hit a couple of buttons, and the Zord changed shape until it was a humanoid.

"Time to lay some groundwork!" Terramole dove into the ground again, and reappeared behind the Megazord. He slashed at them several times, before Ari sent him flying with a kick.

"Thanks Ari," Tori called, before Terramole disappeared back under the ground. He burst out in front of Ari's Zord and threw her backwards, and as the Megazord went to attack, he moved back underground. "He's too fast!" Tori complained.

"Gone again!" Dustin groaned, before an idea came to mind. "Lightning Megazord, engage!" he called on the Megazord's streamlined formation, which was thrown backwards as Terramole popped up. They recovered and swung a punch at the mole, who ducked.

"You're going down!" Terramole caught the Megazord and pulled it down, and Ari's Zord caught it before it completely fell.

"Again with the digging thing!" Shane complained angrily.

"_He's a mole, Shane, that's what they do_," Cam reminded him slowly. "_Power down and I'll send you something that can help_," he told them, and they did so as Terramole jumped out again. "_Downloading Power Sphere 4 now_," he granted them a new Power Disk, that Dustin inserted into his console.

"Ram Hammer deploy!" the three called as Terramole threw the Swan Zord out of the way.

"Whoa! It's time for me to hit the dirt!" he called as he saw the new weapon. He burrowed underground, only for the Megazord to hit the ground and throw him back out.

"Hammer Time!" Dustin called with a grin, and with several strikes, they swung it at Terramole, defeating him for the last time.

1-2-3-4-5

"Aren't you going to train with the others?" Cam looked around as he heard Ari walk into Ninja Ops. Since they had gained their Tsunami Cycles, they had decided that they would need a lot of practice.

"I uh...maybe later," Ari shrugged.

"Ok, so what's up?" Cam frowned, looking at her. Ari walked over, putting a hand on his chair.

"This is about what happened during the battle, isn't it?" Sensei landed beside them, and Ari nodded.

"What did happen, Sensei?" she asked. "One minute I'm in front of that mole monster, and the next I'm behind him," Ari didn't understand what was going on. Cam hit a couple of keys on the computer screen, and brought up the battle that had just occurred. More specifically, the part when Ari vanished.

"I have never seen anything like it," Sensei commented softly as he watched the clip. "It is no technique that I know of," he told her as Ari frowned, looking up at the screen, before her eyes widened.

"It's happened before," both looked at Ari as she whispered this. "When the Celestial Academy was destroyed, I was trapped under some rubble," she explained as she thought about it. "One minute I'm stuck there, no way out, and the next I'm falling onto the ground a little way from it," she told them.

"Curious...it seems to come into effect when you are in danger..." Sensei mused.

"Whatever 'it' is," Cam nodded as Ari folded her arms.

"And I would like to know what it is," she looked up at the screen again as it replayed the clip of her seemingly teleporting. She had no idea what it was.

**Mysterious power yay! Hope you liked it!**


	3. Thunder Strangers Part 1

Chapter 3: Thunder Strangers Part 1

Sitting in Ninja Ops, Ari attempted to do her school work, but her mind kept returning to the battle that had occurred only the previous day. To her strange new trick that she had developed.

"Unbelievable..." Shane's groan nearby made her look up.

"Dude, that is so sick, it's just wrong," Dustin summed up as the pair stared at the screen on Cam's laptop. She raised an eyebrow, but went back to trying to study instead.

"Check out the lines on that baby," Shane leaned closer to the screen. "The way they move...dude I can't believe it!" he moaned, dropping his head to the table.

"You better not be doing anything illegal!" Cam warned angrily as he stormed in, looking annoyed. Dustin and Shane quickly turned the laptop away from him, babbling as they attempted to come up with some kind of excuse. "Let me see," Cam snatched the computer away from the pair and turned it around to look at, before frowning. "The Tsunami Cycles?" he looked up at them, and the two burst out laughing. "Shouldn't you be doing school work like Ari is? Or annoying your parents or something?" Cam rolled his eyes, cutting off their laughter.

"It was already switched onto this channel, so we thought-"

"Computers don't have channels, Dustin," he frowned at the Earth Ninja. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't cruise in here without asking me first!" Cam started typing as Shane rolled his eyes.

"What's the big deal? We didn't hurt it," Shane grumbled in irritation.

"It's just taken me two weeks to make the changes to the onboard telemetry systems," Cam sighed. "I just don't want anything to-" Cam stopped abruptly as the computer began to beep. His disgruntled expression disappeared and was replaced by horror. "Please say this is a dream..." he breathed as the screen blacked out. "I don't believe this!" he yelled as the main computer screen went black as well, with a red cross appearing.

"What happened?" Ari abandoned her work and walked over.

"You're sweating like, really really bad, man," Dustin commented. "You ok?" he asked as Cam typed furiously.

"It's frozen!" Cam yelled, and jumped to his feet. "The system's locked up!" he ran over to the main computer, and the three followed him. "It's totally dead!" he complained.

"You backed it up though, so it should be ok, right?" Ari remembered seeing him working on it while she had been working.

"Of course I did, I must have..." Cam breathed, before his eyes lit up. "Dustin, you have the backup," Cam spun around in his chair as they all looked to Cam. "I gave it to you on that disk," he reminded him, and Dustin stared at him blankly for a moment before he remembered.

"Oh yeah, yeah right, it's in my back-" Dustin froze as he went to grab his backpack off his back, only to find it wasn't there. "It's in my backpack..." he breathed.

1-2-3-4-5

As they waited for Dustin, Shane and Ari decided to skate for a while while Tori watched them. Ari moved past Shane, shooting up the ramp and flipping through the air before coming back down.

"You're not bad," Shane commented as she rolled back down. "I mean, not as good as me, but still pretty good," he smirked, and Ari laughed.

"That's the closest to a compliment that you've given me, and I will take it," she smiled, and rolled on past. Shane's smirk dropped and Tori shot him a frown. None of them were sure about her capability to be a Ranger, but both Dustin and Tori had been working on getting Shane to be a little nicer to Ari. Shane rubbed the back of his head, before looking around as Dustin ran up to them.

"Any luck?" Shane asked.

"No man," Dustin shook his head, frustrated and worried. The one time he had been entrusted to do something by Cam, and he had messed up severely.

"Well, think," Tori spoke as she walked over. "Where else have you been?" she asked.

"Have you tried the track?" Ari asked as she skated past. Dustin ran his hands through his hair, before his eyes widened.

"The track!" he realised, and as he went to run off, their morphers beeped.

"Go for Shane," the air ninja looked around before opening the communication lines with Cam.

"_I'm picking up a strange heat signature reading at the Quarry_," Cam spoke, a trace of worry in his voice.

"Kelzacks?" Shane frowned, looking to the others.

"_No, I don't know what it is,_" Cam replied. "_Better Ranger up, just to be safe_," he told them.

"Not going to be a problem," Shane told him confidently, and looked to the others as they looked about, making sure nobody was around. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

"NINJA STORM!"

"CELESTIAL STORM!"

"RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Wind Ranger Power!"

"Power of the Sun!" they morphed and Ninja-streaked towards the Quarry.

"What's going on?" Shane wondered as they looked around for any sign of a problem.

"Not a whole lot," Tori shook her head.

"Nothing here," Dustin added, and Shane lifted his morpher to his mouth to open communications.

"Uh, Cam," the Red Ranger started. "This place is like Downtown Deadville," he reported as they all continued to look around, a little confused.

"_I'm taking a heat reading from the Air Force satellite_," Cam replied, sounding just as confused. "It's usually right on!" he commented.

"Goodbye Rangers!" a voice called out, and they spun around before a blast of energy slammed into them and threw them to the ground.

"Note to self...never, _ever_, doubt Cam," Shane groaned, pushing himself back up. The smoke of the explosion cleared to reveal their attackers, two other Rangers in Crimson and Navy suits, with their backs to them. "Who are you?!" Shane demanded.

"What's with the attitude?" Tori growled.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Shane called to them as the pair didn't respond.

"Obviously you didn't get the memo," the Crimson Ranger spoke as he turned to face them.

"Old Rangers out, new Rangers in," the Navy Ranger added as he turned as well.

"What? You expect us to fight you?" Dustin asked, confused. Instead of answering, however, the pair shot at them, ninja-streaking past several times and striking them with their weapons, flooring them.

"Doesn't seem like they want to talk," Shane groaned as he sat up.

"I vote for kicking their wannabe butts!" Tori nodded.

"I hear ya!" Dustin nodded as he jumped up as well.

"Those symbols...I've seen them before..." Ari mused as she looked at the pair.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you to play nice?! Shane demanded. He then leapt into the air, running at them throw the air as he drew his sword.

"We don't do nice," the two replied, and the Navy Ranger leapt up, kicking him out of the air. He slammed Shane into the side of the cliff, landing neatly as Shane hit the ground hard. The others ran at the Crimson Ranger, attacking him, but he was much stronger, blocking their attacks before knocking Dustin off his feet.

"Dustin!" Tori cried as she was thrown back. The Crimson Ranger went to attack the fallen Ranger with a strange staff, and was surprised when Ari blocked it, standing over the Yellow Ranger. Using her Solar Blades to block, Ari refused to let his attack pass.

"Ari?" Dustin stared up at her in shock.

"You're not bad," the Crimson Ranger commented as he pushed against her, forcing her to lean backwards. "But you're nowhere near my level!" he yelled, and kicked her in the stomach hard. Ari slammed into a rock, crying out as she hit the ground, and demorphed, lying still.

"Ari!" Dustin yelled as he got up, before the Navy Ranger hit them with his staff.

"They have sticks!" Shane yelled, which didn't make them sound very threatening.

"Really big sticks," Tori nodded.

"Anybody got a suggestion?" Dustin groaned as the two walked towards them.

"You want a suggestion? Give up," the Crimson Ranger told them with a smirk.

"It'll be much less painful for you," the Navy one added.

"Oh I get it, this is a training thing, isn't it?" Shane asked as he got to his feet.

"Cam, you got us," Tori smiled nervously.

"I think this for real," Dustin shook his head.

"Alright, ready?" the Crimson one asked the shorter Ranger.

"Yeah," the Navy Ranger replied, and the two lifted a hand each. Coloured energy began to shine, before they suddenly darted off.

"Where'd they go?" Shane demanded as he looked around.

"Really far away...if we're lucky..." Dustin gulped as they stood together.

"We're not that lucky..." Ari groaned as she got up, an arm around her stomach as she walked over. "Looks like we have some Thunder Ninjas to fight," she mumbled, before falling forwards. Dustin caught her quickly, and looked to the others.

"Thunder Ninjas?" he repeated, but they looked as blank as he did.

1-2-3-4-5

After being checked out to ensure that she was ok, Ari sat in Ninja Ops as the other three bombarded their teacher with questions about the two new Rangers. Eventually he grew tired of not being able to understand a word he was saying, and whistled loudly, effectively shutting them up.

"One at a time," he spoke in an irritated voice.

"Sensei, who were those guys?" Shane spoke first before the other two could.

"They fight in the style of the Thunder Ninja Academy," Sensei explained. "That is all I know for certain," he told them, and the three looked over at Ari, who was rubbing her bruised stomach.

"I recognised the symbols," she shrugged. "I read a book about Thunder Ninjas," she explained as this seemed to invite more questions than answers.

"I thought Lothor captured all the other ninja schools," Dustin frowned, and all of them glanced at Ari again, the sole survivor of when her own school had been taken.

"Could he have turned them against us?" Tori asked curiously. "To fight fire with fire?" Sensei shook his head.

"Their fire is from deep within. Even Lothor cannot be driving them to attack with such passion," the teacher told them, lacking any idea why they would attack the four as well.

"You know what? I don't really care what their problem is," Dustin shook his head. "All I know is, those dudes almost smoked us," he pointed out.

"You more than us," Tori looked at Dustin, who nodded and looked over at Ari, who had gotten up and was asking Cam about what few books had survived the attack.

"Yeah, but they didn't," Shane reminded them. "And I want to know why," he frowned.

"Well I guess that's down to two options," Ari spoke as she leaned against the chair while Cam got up. "Either they don't want to destroy us until we're powerful enough to give them a good fight, or," she turned to face them. "Us destroyed isn't what they're after," the three stared at her, before Shane scoffed.

"What could they possibly be after that requires us getting out butts kicked, but not destroyed?" he asked, and Ari shrugged.

"I dunno. But it's an explanation, and more logical than the first, right?" she tilted her head, and Shane frowned.

"Cut her some slack, she has a point," he was surprised when Dustin spoke up. He grinned to Ari, who smiled back, relieved that somebody stuck up for her.

1-2-3-4-5

As the Rangers pondered the problem that was the Thunder Ninjas, the computer began to beep again, alerting them to another foreign being.

"The quarry again?" Cam rolled his eyes as he looked up at the screen. "What? Is it like a Monster-Con over there?" he wondered aloud.

"Zurgane," Shane groaned as the screen closed in on the alien general. "Still ugly as ever," he muttered.

"How can you tell? He doesn't have a face," Ari commented as she stood beside him, an arm still around her stomach.

"Doesn't he usually come equipped with an evil alien sidekick?" Tori frowned as she watched him wandering around.

"It could be a trap," Sensei told them as they nodded. "Use caution when engaging him," he warned them.

"We always do," Shane nodded.

"Yeah, right," Cam rolled his eyes as they went to walk off.

"Ari, I want you to stay here," the Gold Ranger looked around quickly, her eyes wide in shock. "You are still injured from your battle with the Thunder Rangers, it is too dangerous," Sensei told her as she went to protest. Ari scowled, but sat down heavily on the table.

"Fine," she muttered. "That's the last time I save your butt," Ari looked at Dustin, who shot her a grateful smile.

"Ready?" Shane called as he rolled his eyes.

"Ready!"

"NINJA STORM, RANGER FORM, HA!" they shot off to the quarry, where they met the general, who seemed a bit more angry than usual. The three fought off Zurgane to the best of their ability, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the faceless General. However, as he floored them and went to attack them again, a beam of light caught him, and Zurgane disappeared.

"That was weird...what happened?" Ari asked as she stood behind Cam, watching over his shoulder.

"I don't know..." he frowned, not understanding it. Both of them looked up as the computer picked up two more heat signatures, but before Cam could warn the Wind Ninjas, the ground exploded beside them in an attack from the mysterious Thunder Rangers. Ari leaned forwards, a frown on her face, and a necklace fell out from under her shirt. Cam noticed it and glanced around, and found it was a golden griffin. When Ari noticed, she tucked it back into her shirt, and focused on the battle on screen.

"Recognise these?" the Crimson Ranger asked as the three got ready to fight them. The two Thunder Ninjas raised a hand and summoned energy, which they threw to the ground in front of them, calling on powerful looking bikes of their own.

"They..." Cam stared at the two bikes on the computer screen. "Those are _my _Tsunami Cycles!" he exclaimed in anger, unable to believe it.

"How did they get those..." Ari whispered, a hand over her mouth. With their powerful bikes, the two ninjas raced towards them, overpowering the three with no problem at all. "Right, I'm going out there," Ari decided as the Rangers hit the ground again.

"Ari, you're injured, you can't-"

"I might be injured, but they're going to be destroyed if I don't help them!" Ari cut Cam off before he could stop her. She Ninja-streaked out of Ninja Ops, down to the quarry as the two Thunder Ninjas stopped their bikes, surveying the damage they had done.

"This is so easy, it's almost boring," the Crimson Ranger complained as they dismounted and walked towards the three Wind Ninjas.

"I thought they'd at least put up a fight," the Navy Ranger sighed, shaking his head.

"Those guys never could compete with the Thunder Ninja Academy," the one in Crimson mocked. "They're so lame," he stopped a little way from them.

"No doubt," the Navy Ranger agreed as he walked towards the other Ranger. "I thought their Sensei taught them better than this," he smirked, before Ari landed in front of her team-mates, her arms held up.

"How about you try the Celestial Ninja Academy on for size?" she challenged.

"Ari, get out of here!" Tori called up to her, but Ari didn't respond.

"Just one little Sun Ninja, against the two of us?" the Navy one just laughed.

"I'm not little. And it's not numbers that win a battle," Ari called back with a look of determination. "CELESTIAL STORM, RANGER FORM, HA!" she morphed, and called on her Solar Blades.

"I've heard Sun Ninjas are on the stubborn side," the Crimson Ranger commented as he looked to his partner. "I wonder if they match up to the Thunder Academy though," he glanced back to Ari, who fell into a fighting position, her swords pointing backwards.

"Let's see, shall we?" Ari called, and the two laughed before ninja-streaking towards her. To the amazement of the other Rangers, she kept up with their speed, blocking with her swords before kicking the Navy Ranger back. With a growl, the Crimson one caught her stomach and she cried out, staggering back as her suit sparked.

"You're alright, but it looks like you're still hurting from that hit you took last time," the Navy Ranger laughed. Not about to give up, Ari regripped her swords and ran at them, narrowly avoiding a hit from him. She looked around as the Crimson Ranger swung his staff at her, and she couldn't help but cry out, before his staff disappeared in a gold flash. He stumbled a little as all three stared in surprise.

"What the hell?!" he demanded angrily. "What did you do?!" he yelled as Ari stared at him in shock.

"Was that...this power?" she wondered, before shaking her head to clear her focus. She caught him with a kick, but he recovered quickly and threw her into the cliffside. Unable to tolerate her aching stomach any longer, Ari sank to the ground, demorphing as she fell forwards, moaning a little.

"Ari!" Tori cried out, and Ari looked over at them weakly.

"I'm sorry..." she mumbled, tears burning at her eyes as she felt useless.

"Time to finish this," the Crimson Ranger decided, and they held out their morphers, which resembled insects. "Sky of wonder..."

"Power of Thunder!" the Navy Ranger finished. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed, and they were surrounded in smoke as the lightning hit the ground around them.

"That does not look good," Tori groaned as they got back to their feet.

"Crimson Insectizord!"

"Navy Beelezord!" two Zords burst into view.

"You've got to be kidding me," Tori spoke dryly, staring up from beside Ari, who she helped into a sitting position.

"They have Zords?!" Dustin groaned in disbelief.

"This is getting ridiculous!" Shane growled.

"Later days!" the Thunder Ninjas leapt up into their Zords. "By the time this is over, we'll be the last Ninja Rangers on the planet. So let's stay focused," the two Zords hurtled towards them.

"They want to play rough?" Shane growled. "We're all about rough! Cam, hit it!" he contacted the genius, who sent them their Zords.

"Go, I'll be ok," Ari told Tori, who nodded. She, Tori and Dustin leapt into their Zords, and the battle between the Zords started. Shane seemed to gain the upper hand at first, but the Insectizord suddenly burst out of a rock and blasted him, nearly knocking the Hawk Zord out of the sky. The Beetlezord caught Dustin, who cried out as he was trapped. "Cam..." Ari started, but he cut her off.

"_No way, you're in no state to drive a Zord. You shouldn't even have gone out there_!" Cam scolded, and Ari lowered her head. Dustin managed to blast the Navy Ranger's Zord off him, but the Beetlezord disappeared before grabbing Tori's Dolphin Zord. She was tossed over to the other two, and they quickly formed the Megazord. However, the Thunder Rangers formed their own Megazord, and the two began to fight again. Just like before, the Thunder Megazord overwhelmed the Wind Ninjas. They called on their Serpent Sword, but it didn't even seem to faze the Megazord when it struck it. They summoned a Power Sphere, and judging from the yells from her team-mates, Ari assumed that it was stolen from them. With a couple of quick slices, the Thunder Megazord defeated the Megazord, which collapsed and powered down.

"No..." Ari managed to get to her feet, and with an arm wrapped around her stomach, she ran towards the crash site. "Guys, guys!" she yelled as she ran towards the Megazord.

**Hope you guys liked it!**


	4. Thunder Strangers Part 2

Chapter 4: Thunder Strangers Part 2

Desperate to find her team-mates and praying that they were still alive, Ari ran through the forest, searching for any sign of them. She tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground with a cry, hitting the dirt hard. As pain exploded where she had already been injured, Ari struggled to get to her feet.

"Ari!" the Gold Ranger looked up as she heard a familiar voice. She looked up, and saw a figure in crimson and white in front of her. At first thinking it was the Crimson Ranger, Ari cried out and pushed him away, falling back in the dirt. "Yo, it's us," blinking to clear her vision, Ari looked up at saw Hunter, Blake and Kelly staring at her.

"What happened to you?" Kelly looked horrified as she took in the sight of the 15 year old. She was covered in bruises, and her hoodie was ripped. Hunter helped her up and Ari staggered, before managing to stand.

"I was caught in the middle of that attack, I was hiking and-" Ari stopped abruptly as she spotted the others climbing the hill, looking just as beaten as Ari did. She hurried over to them as fast as she could, and the other three followed her.

"Are you ok?" Blake asked as he helped Tori up.

"What happened?" Hunter asked as he looked around the crash site.

"I was listening in the car on the way here," Kelly spoke up as she looked at the three. "They think it was some kind of alien attack!" she exclaimed with worry.

"That sorta thing happen a lot around here?" Blake asked, still holding onto Tori.

"You never wondered why housing was so cheap?" Shane grunted, doubled over as he caught his breath.

"We need to call someone!" Kelly exclaimed with worry. "The police, the FBI, the CIA-"

"No Kelly," Tori cut off the worried woman with a smile. "We're fine, thanks," she insisted.

"What about going to the hospital? Ari looks ready to drop," Kelly looked to the 15 year old.

"I'm ok, I've had way worse from learning to skateboard, believe me," Ari insisted, smiling at the red-haired young woman, who didn't look convinced.

"Come on, we better go," Shane nodded to the others, who sighed and headed back up to Ninja Ops, knowing that they were in for a lecture.

1-2-3-4-5

"Well, you've managed to reduce years of technological advance into scrap metal in a single afternoon," Cam looked up from the three broken morphers in his hands. "Not to mention what you did to your Zords," he lectured the three Ninjas who stood in front of him, looking guilty. "And you," Ari froze as Cam looked at her sharply. The Sun Ninja was sitting on the table, covered in bandages. "You were told not to go out there, and now you're in worse condition than before," he scolded, and Ari looked down at her hands.

"Cam, now is not the time," Sensei cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, you're right," Cam didn't look very sorry. "Thankfully the auto-retreat allowed the reactors time to reset the holographic portals," he told them. "I've engaged the self-reconstruct functions," he added as he walked back over to his computer.

"Dude, I've got no idea what you just said," Dustin informed him as they followed him over to the computer.

"The Zords are fixing themselves," they looked around at Ari, who stood up, apparently oblivious to the three stares. When she looked back up, she blinked. "What?" she asked.

"How'd you know that?" Shane asked slowly.

"Um..." Ari went red. "I guess it just made sense," she shrugged, and Cam laughed to himself as the three Ninjas just gave her an incredulous stare and turned back to Cam and Sensei.

"Hey, Sensei, why didn't they finish us off?" Shane asked as they all gathered around the computer.

"Yeah, their Zords were sicko, bro!" Dustin nodded, before realising who he was talking to. "I mean, Sensei," he bowed his head in an attempt to be respectful.

"Thunder Zords. Created by the same technology that powers your own," Sensei told them as they looked to the video on the screen. "Ari's Swan Zord is the same," he added.

"And these Thunder Ninjas work for Lothor? That doesn't make any sense," Tori shook her head as she straightened up.

"No more than Zurgane booking out of there when they showed up," Shane nodded. Dustin lifted his fried morpher, and poked at it curiously.

"I suspect, that with all evil alliances, there is dissension in their ranks," Sensei spoke up, and they frowned. "Dissension that can be used to our advantage, when the time is right, he added, and Cam nodded.

"I hope these are under warranty," Dustin held it back out to Cam, who rolled his eyes.

"I just feel totally helpless," Tori complained. "There's gotta be something we can do," she looked to Sensei, hoping for an answer.

"For now, you must return to your daily lives," Sensei told them softly. "If Lothor expects anything out of the ordinary, it will only give him more power," he spoke warningly.

"Be careful. They've already stolen the Tsunami Cycle disk somehow, who knows what they'll do next. If you talk to anyone, make sure that you trust them completely," Cam warned the four, and they nodded.

"And Ari, you should stay here for the time being, your injuries are too severe for you to return to work for a while," Ari groaned at Sensei's words, but nodded.

1-2-3-4-5

While the other three Rangers returned to their normal lives, Ari sat in Ninja Ops, doing some more school work. Having to fix up the three Wind Morphers, Cam had just given her some work to do instead of tutoring her, and the two worked in silence, except for Cam's occasional swearing as he shocked himself.

"You need any help?" Ari offered after he shocked himself for the fifth time.

"No, I'm fine," Cam quietly seethed, before Ari's morpher appeared under his nose.

"It'd probably help if you had something to work with," she smiled, and he nodded, thanking her and taking it. Ari continued with her work, and when Cam looked over to see how she was doing, he found that she was already done and reading a book about the Thunder Ninja Academy.

"I need to up your work load..." he muttered, and Ari looked up. She laughed, and shrugged, before returning to the book as Cam returned to his work.

"Cam! I need your help outside," the peaceful work was shattered as Tori burst into Ninja Ops, breathing heavily. Cam sighed, and Ari peeked over the top of her book.

"Can't it wait? I've nearly got the morphers back online," Cam looked back down at the morpher, but Tori shook her head quickly.

"It's an emergency! My friend, he's...hurt," Cam's eyes widened and he looked up at her sharply.

"And you brought him here?!" Cam demanded as he got to his feet. Ari could understand his anger. The Ninja schools were supposed to be kept hidden, even from each other, and the fact that Tori had brought a civilian was a massive breach of the rules. "You ever heard of a hospital?!" he growled.

"I know, but he was hurt because of me," Tori was frantic. "Please? Come look at him," the Blue Ranger pleaded, and Cam sighed, shaking his head. "It was one of Lothor's space freaks, we have to help him!" Cam watched her as she pleaded with him.

"Alright," he sighed, and relief spread across Tori's face. The three ran outside, and found Blake lying outside with strange things on his chest.

"It's Blake? Why am I not surprised?" Ari sighed, and Tori went red, shooting her a glare. The three crouched down beside him, and Cam studied the tadpole like creatures.

"What are those things?" Tori asked as Cam removed one slowly.

"Some kind of cybernetic leech," he explained as he removed the other two. "Looks like they dehydrate the human body until it just shuts down," he sighed as he put the things on the ground.

"Well, did you get them off in time?" Tori asked as she took Blake's hand.

"I think so," Cam nodded as he checked Blake's pulse. Ari tilted her head curiously as she watched the young man. "This guy must drink a lot of water," he commented as Tori relaxed.

"His name's Blake," she told him.

"I don't care what his name is," Cam bit, looking up at her. "Dad's gonna flip when he finds out you brought him here," he warned, and Tori smiled sweetly.

"Well then, maybe he shouldn't find out?" she suggested, and Cam rolled his eyes.

"The Morphers are on the console inside. Go get them, I'll stay here," Cam told the Water Ninja, who smiled brightly at him.

"Thanks Cam," she kissed the genius' cheek and got up, heading back to the lake.

"Men as a species are doomed," Ari told Cam as he watched her step onto the lake.

"Oh shut up," Cam rolled his eyes as he shot her a frown. Ari just smiled at him, with neither noticing as Blake's eyes opened. He watched as Tori walked across the water and disappeared into the waterfall, and a grin spread across his face.

1-2-3-4-5

Not long after Tori and Blake had returned to town, the computer began to beep as the frog monster that had attacked Tori returned. Cam contacted the three Rangers, who headed off to battle.

"Don't even think about going to help this time," Cam warned, holding onto Ari's morpher as a precaution. She frowned, but made no attempt to argue, knowing that it was pointless. Instead, she chose to stand behind him and watch the fight between the Rangers and the monster.

The monster was powerful, and used the lake on the battlefield to his advantage. Using his powers, the frog-like monster lifted them into the air, and threw them into the water. Ari tensed as she watched. Her entire being was screaming at her to go and help, but Cam would never relinquish her morpher, and she was in too bad shape to actually be of any help. The three leapt out of the water again and attacked, but the frog disappeared. He reappeared behind them and attacked, before throwing his tadpole-like creatures at them. They exploded on contact, and the Rangers hit the ground.

"This is bad," Ari breathed, and Cam's grip tightened on her morpher, an action that wasn't missed by her. The computer beeped to signal the arrival of more heat signatures, and the Thunder Rangers appeared. "This is really bad," Ari's grip on the back of the chair tightened, before the two suddenly shot past the Wind Ninjas and attacked the frog monster. Within seconds they took him out, and everyone was silent, stunned.

"Ok, that was different," Cam commented, before sending out the Zords.

"Why would they attack their ally? I don't get it," Ari shook her head. "First they don't destroy us despite getting several chances to, now this..." she murmured.

"I'm beginning to think you're right, they do want something that doesn't involve destroying you first," Cam looked around at her, before they heard a crash. They both looked around and froze as the two Thunder Ninjas walked in, laughing quietly.

"How did you get here?" Cam got to his feet.

"That doesn't matter," the Crimson Ranger snapped, and Ari shot at them, ignoring Cam's yell to stop. She swung a punch, but the Crimson Ranger caught it easily. "You don't even have your morpher, this is too easy," he commented as he twisted her into an armlock.

"Let her go!" Cam growled as he tried to help Ari, only for the Navy Ranger to trip him.

"That's not very nice," he commented, and Cam jumped up. The Navy Ranger caught him and restrained him as Ari struggled furiously, willing whatever strange power it was to kick in, but nothing happened.

"So I was right, you guys do want something other than to destroy us," Ari growled as she struggled. She could see her morpher on the desk, lying there uselessly. "What do you want?!" she demanded.

"You'll see soon enough," the Crimson Ranger growled down at her. They all looked up as they heard Shane, Tori and Dustin walked down the stairs. Tori was speaking, sounding confused, before they spotted the two Thunder Ninjas holding Cam and Ari. They fell into fighting stances instantly.

"What are you doing here?" Shane snarled, but instead of answering, the Thunder Rangers demorphed, and their true identities took everyone by surprise. The three Wind Ninjas straightened up as they stared at Hunter and Blake.

"So what do you want?" Dustin growled, trying to keep his voice flat, but they could hear the quiver in it. "How did you get in here?" he asked.

"Ask her," Hunter responded coldly, looking to Tori, whose blue eyes widened and filled with tears.

"Blake?" she looked to the Navy Ranger, who was still holding Cam tightly.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, and Ari looked at him in surprise. He sounded genuinely guilty for misleading her. "But we had to find the Ninja Ops. I didn't mean to use you," he told her, but Tori just looked away, unable to believe it.

"If you hurt them, I will hunt you down," she growled after a moment, but her voice shook just like Dustin's had.

"Leave him," Hunter told Blake, who tossed Cam into the others. Hunter's grip on Ari tightened. "We've got what we want," as Shane pushed Cam behind them, Hunter smirked as he pulled Ari into him. "Goodbye Rangers, and good luck in your future battles," he sneered, before the pair cast a smoke screen, disappearing and taking Ari with them.

"Everyone alright?" Tori asked as she looked around. Cam pushed past them and ran to where his father usually resided.

"Why did they take Ari? And why wait until she was here? What else would they want?" Shane asked as he looked around. Cam straightened up, pulling his glasses off as his worry shone clear.

"My father. They took my father," he told them, and they stared at him, stunned.

**Hope you liked it! Let me know what you think!**


	5. Thunder Strangers Part 3

Chapter 5: Thunder Strangers Part 3

Ari let out a low growl as she was shoved ahead by Hunter and Blake.

"There's no point in trying to escape," Hunter told her coldly. Ari refused to answer them, but they all heard a low moaning that made them look around.

"I don't know about you, bro, but I'm not really digging this place," Blake commented as he looked around.

"Don't be such a baby," Hunter scoffed, and shoved Ari ahead.

"You should be afraid, Thunder Rangers," Sensei spoke from the sphere that he had enclosed himself in before they captured him. "There are spirits here of the darkest warriors the world has ever known," he warned them.

"Quiet," Hunter snapped down at him. "We know what we're doing," he snarled.

"We're going to the Cavern of Spirits," Ari's voice was soft, and her words almost made the pair stop. "I'm right, aren't I? You need the Gem of Souls to break the sphere that Sensei's in," she looked around, her green eyes piercing. "But you need a power source to fuel the Gem," Ari commented softly, already knowing where they were going to get the power source.

"Those weird powers you have that made my weapon disappear will be perfect," Hunter shoved her, forcing her to increase her pace.

"Dude, I can't even control those powers, what makes you think you can?" Ari asked.

"I already said we know what we're doing," Hunter snapped at her, and the Gold Ranger rolled her eyes.

"Have you not learned that taking revenge on one who has caused you no harm, makes you as guilty as the one who hurt you to begin with?" Sensei's words made them stop.

"You destroyed our parents," Hunter snarled at him as Blake glared at the orb that held Sensei. "Parents who adopted us and gave us a life. You deserve everything that's coming to you," the Crimson Ranger hissed, and they continued walking. Ari glanced back at them as she thought their words over, before her gaze lowered and she kept walking. After a little while, she suddenly slammed backwards, taking Hunter by surprise and causing him to drop the orb that held Sensei. In his attempt to grab it again, his grip loosened on Ari. She caught the orb, and immediately Ninja-streaked off.

She skidded to a stop after a couple of miles, and sank down as she caught her breath. Her injuries were still bad, and it was painful enough to walk, let alone use her ninja powers.

"Sorry Sensei," she apologised as she realised that Sensei had been thrown about a little in her escape.

"It's quite alright," he told her. Ari looked about nervously as she heard more groaning.

"Better hold on Sensei, I'm getting us out of here. It's giving me the creeps," Ari gulped, and Sensei braced himself, but as Ari went to run, she slammed into what felt like a brick wall. She cried out as the wall grabbed her and slammed her into a tree, forcing her to drop Sensei. Tears of pain burned in Ari's eyes as she looked up at Hunter, who looked furious.

"If Sensei was the one who apparently killed your parents, then what did I do to deserve your anger?" she asked, and Hunter's angry look died down a little in surprise.

"Come on bro, the sooner we do this, the sooner we can get out of this creepy place," Blake commented as he lifted the sphere.Hunter grabbed Ari's wrists and shoved her in front of them again, pinning her arms behind her back as she continued to struggle.

1-2-3-4-5

"How much further?" Blake complained as they walked into a clearer part of the forest.

"Nearly there," Hunter told him as they looked around.

"Did you hear that?" Blake asked nervously.

"Yeah..." Hunter's voice was more controlled. Suddenly the ghosts that had been making the groaning noises appeared, surrounding them. The brothers looked to each other, and Blake set down the orb in front of him slowly. Hunter then shoved Ari down behind him, and nodded to Blake.

"THUNDER STORM, RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Power of Thunder!" they morphed into their Crimson and Navy suits, and the dead Ninjas shot at them. Ari rolled her eyes and grabbed Sensei's sphere, only for Blake to trip her up. Hunter caught the ball as Ari dropped it, and the ghosts surrounded them, grabbing a hold of the brothers as Ari covered her head.

"What now?" Hunter grunted as he struggled to break free.

"Put me down, I say!" Sensei told him, but he was ignored. Suddenly the ghosts were blasted out of the way, and Ari peeked up to see Shane, Tori and Dustin riding into view.

"Whoa, who do we fight?" Dustin looked around in confusion.

"Anyone not wearing a primary colour?" Shane suggested as he looked around at the Thunder Ninjas.

"Good plan," Tori nodded, only to be tackled off her bike. The group began to fight off the dead ninjas together, and it became a game of also fighting over Sensei as Ari stayed out of the way, knocking back any who came her way. She caught Sensei when he went flying her way, before Blake shoved her off her feet once more and grabbed Sensei as she dropped him. With their attention divided, the ninjas were completely surrounded.

"These guys are fearless!" Shane complained.

"They're dead, it's not like they've got much to lose," Tori reminded him as they were all pressed together. Ari tried to grab the ninjas and force them away, but she was just pushed back.

"So that would be the glass half-empty, right?" Dustin commented, and when she was once again shoved aside, Ari's fists clenched.

"Just stop it!" she yelled, and a bright golden light surrounded the ghosts, destroying them. Ari stared at the dust, which was all that was left of the Ninjas, as everyone else just stared at her. "Um...you're welcome?" she offered, before Blake suddenly flipped Dustin and pushed Tori out of the way. Hunter took out Shane, and grabbed Ari before she could escape.

"Let's go," he nodded to his brother, Sensei secured under his arm, and the two Ninja-streaked away. The Wind Ninjas caught up to them in the quarry, and Ari was once again thrown out of the way as the five fought again. The two Thunder Ninjas easily outmatched their opponents, knocking them to the ground.

"Why are you doing this?" Dustin demanded as he got back to his feet.

"Simple. Revenge," Hunter told them, before the ground shook. They all looked up as a Zord appeared, and Zurgane laughed from inside.

"Zurgane!"

"Who gave him the keys to a Zord?" Dustin demanded as he looked up with a frown.

"That'll keep them busy," Hunter nodded to Blake, and they grabbed Ari again, who by this point was fed up with trying to escape. They pulled her away, and Tori stayed to take on Zurgane while Dustin and Shane pursued the Thunder Ninjas.

"Gimme that ball!" Dustin yelled, leaping into the air, but Blake knocked him out of the sky before he could reach Hunter. Ari just rolled her eyes and after a quick game of catch, the Thunder Ninjas got hold of Sensei again. Tori fought off Zurgane, and Ari put a hand to her face before walking over and lifting the sphere.

"I wonder, would they even notice if I just took you and left?" she asked, looking over at the fight. She grinned to herself, and Ninja-streaked away from the battle, holding onto Sensei tightly. She kept running, despite the pain in her body. However, because of this, she was much slower than usual, and before long she was tackled to the ground. She rolled along the sand of a beach, groaning. The Thunder Ninjas stood over her, demorphed and scowling.

"You definitely live up to the stubborn reputation of a Sun Ninja, I'll give you that," Hunter commented as he crouched and yanked Sensei's orb from her hands. He threw it to Blake, and hauled Ari to her feet. When she continued to fight him, he lifted her up over his shoulder.

"Well this is really nice!" Ari grunted as she thrashed about.

"The ninja spirits sense our presence," Sensei spoke as they looked around uneasily.

"The cavern," Blake spotted the cavern nearby.

"Consider what you are about to do carefully," Sensei warned them. "There are powerful forces here," the two just ignored him and walked into the cavern. They walked through the dark cave, before coming to an open spot, where a glowing green gem sat. Ari was dumped on the ground not very gracefully, and as she sat up, she gasped. Golden light flew from her into the Gem, and she fell forwards, breathing heavily as she blocked her fall with her hands.

"Bro, I think that's enough," Blake nodded, looking a little concerned as Ari grew pale. Hunter nodded and lifted the gem, and held it over the orb that held Sensei.

"No!" Shane's yell of panic made them look around quickly. "Put it down. Sensei didn't do anything," he told them carefully as the golden light continued to rise from Ari, into the Gem.

"Lothor told us everything!"

"Your Sensei destroyed our parents!"

"Lothor saw the whole thing!" Hunter nodded as he lowered the Gem. As it went behind the pillar that Sensei's orb was sitting on, the light faded and Ari collapsed, barely conscious.

"And you believed him?" Tori asked, incredulous. Her eyes were on Ari, but she didn't risk running to her, worried that it would provoke the angry brothers.

"Why shouldn't we?"

"Well dude, he's not exactly known for being one of the good guys," Dustin pointed out, but Hunter just shook his head and lifted the Gem again.

"We're done talking," he told them.

"No!" Tori cried out and they ran forwards, before a voice spoke out.

"Put it down, Hunter, before you kill her," the two looked up quickly as a pair of spirits appeared.

"Who are you?" Shane asked as Tori pulled Ari back, away from the Gem before it could finish draining her. The spirits lowered their hoods, revealing a man and a woman.

"Mum? Dad? How did you-"

"This is the Mountain of Lost Ninjas, we'll be here for all eternity," the man told them.

"Because of him, right?" Blake growled as he looked to Sensei.

"No Blake," the woman shook her head. "He's not responsible for what happened to us," she told them softly.

"Well then, who is?!" Hunter demanded desperately.

"The one they call Lothor," the man revealed, taking them by surprise.

"Shocking," Ari groaned, her eyes fluttering open.

"They're fading," Hunter breathed as the two spirits began to disappear.

"We'll always be looking after you," their mother smiled to them as she lifted her hood to cover her face again.

"Make us proud," their father spoke before they disappeared.

"What a sight," they all looked around to see Lothor. "The Thunder Rangers crying for their mummy," he mocked with a smirk. "My ears were burning, you've been talking about me haven't you?" he grinned.

"It was you all along!" Hunter snarled as he pushed ahead of the others. "You lied to us!"

"Not the brightest bulbs on the tree, are you?" Lothor raised an eyebrow at the Crimson Ranger. "Now give me that hamster. We got business to attend to," he ordered.

"Actually, dude, he's a guinea pig," Dustin corrected the evil ninja.

"And we're not giving him to you," Shane snarled at him.

"Then I'll take him," Lothor decided simply.

"Uh, hello? Lots of us, and one of you," Tori smirked, and Lothor rolled his eyes.

"Oh please," he scoffed, and blasted them with his dark energy.

"Stand back!" Hunter rolled in the way of the attack and held up the Gem, which blasted the attack back. Lothor cried out as it hit him, and he disappeared in a flash of bright light.

"Dude, you nailed Lothor!" Dustin exclaimed in shock, and Hunter opened his hand to reveal the now shattered Gem of Souls.

"Get that thing away from me," Ari groaned as a little more of her power was sapped.

"The Gem of Souls...it's broken," Hunter frowned at them. "I used it to protect us, but it shattered," he explained as the green light faded.

"Fore better or worse, the power of the Gem cannot be destroyed," they all looked around at Sensei as the orb around him faded.

"Speaking of power, what happened to Lothor?" Tori asked curiously.

"I suspect that he is very much alive, and, I fear, more desperate than ever," Sensei replied.

"We're sorry...we didn't know..." Blake turned to the Rangers, and looked down at Ari.

"S'alright," Ari's voice was a little slurred as she waved them off. "Nearly killed me, but it's alright," she told them casually.

"We didn't know that it would kill you," Hunter admitted. "Lothor said it would drain that weird power you have, but you'd still be alive," he told her, and Ari scoffed.

"Well that explains why you didn't really care about the whole 'using my power for your revenge thing'. Just don't do it again," she told them as Tori helped her up.

"Anyone ever tell you that you're really weird?" Dustin asked her, and Ari grinned.

"They never really stop," she replied.

"Let's get out of here, this place is giving me the creeps," Shane looked around the damp cavern, and they all headed off, back to civilisation.

**So I _was _going to update on Wednesday before I went to Dublin...but I forgot...**

**Anyways, I hope you liked it!**


	6. Nowhere to Grow

Chapter 6: Nowhere to Grow

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Ari looked up as Cam walked past her and took a seat at his computer.

"Shouldn't you?" she replied, and he looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. "I've slept most of the last couple of days. I'll go crazy if I try to sleep any more than that," Ari looked back down at the book on the Thunder Ninja Academy that she had been reading since Hunter and Blake had first shown up. It had been a week since the events on the Mountain of Lost Ninjas, and Ari had fully recovered after a lot of bed rest. Hunter and Blake had left Blue Bay Harbour, and the other three had gone back to fighting Lothor's goons without worry of misled Rangers attacking them.

"Alright, but if you fall asleep there you can stay there," Cam turned back to the computer, and Ari grinned and returned to her book.

She looked up a few minutes later as the computer began to beep, and let out a wide yawn as she got to her feet. "What are they doing out there?" Cam frowned as he saw that Shane, Tori and Dustin were already morphed and fighting off a flower-like monster.

"Should I go out there?" Ari asked as the monster overwhelmed the Rangers, but before either Sensei or Cam could answer, the monster disappeared.

"Cam, call them back to Ninja Ops, I would like to speak with them," Sensei told his son, who nodded and opened the communication link.

"Guys, my father would like a word with you," he told the three, who groaned as Cam tried to hide his grin. Ari hid her own behind her book and peeked over it when the three reached Ninja Ops and walked in, having the decency to look a little sheepish.

"Man, I can't believe we got stalked by celery," Dustin groaned as they walked over to where Sensei was waiting for them. Cam walked over and took his night-vision camera back from the Yellow Ranger.

"Here's a thought; maybe you're not getting enough sleep," Cam suggested as Shane frowned at him.

"I must see those seeds," Sensei spoke up, having seen the flower monster attempting to plant them. "We will discuss why you were out on a school night later," they groaned, and Ari couldn't hide her slight laugh.

"I'd hate to be in your skate shoes," Cam smirked as Shane glared at Ari, who just hid behind her book again.

"Dude, shouldn't you be cleaning ancient scrolls or something?" Shane turned his glare on Cam, who rolled his eyes. "And shouldn't you be in bed?" he looked at Ari, who frowned.

"Shouldn't you?" she asked, and looked back at her book instead of waiting for some kind of reply.

"Since when has Lothor been into gardening?" Tori asked as she raised an eyebrow. Sensei poked one of the seeds, and green gas poured out of it, making him cry out in disgust. A disgusting smell rose up, and they all covered their noses quickly.

"That is some serious stink man," Shane groaned as Ari fanned the smell away from her with her book.

"Smells like Dustin after ninja training," Tori grinned mischievously, and Dustin laughed.

"Hey yeah, it does too!" he agreed as the others laughed.

"What are those things?" Ari inquired curiously.

"I'm not certain," Sensei shook his head. "I have an acquaintance, Dr Belrab. He's an expert on exotic plants. In the morning, you must visit him at his botanical laboratory," he told them.

"Why don't I go?" Cam volunteered. "This may require someone who actually has a clue about botany," he told his father, and Shane laughed.

"Dude, just so you know, not a very good pickup line," he mocked, and Cam rolled his eyes.

"Shane, come on," Tori slapped his arm, frowning.

"That's enough," Sensei spoke up. "All of you, return home. You must be alert for tomorrow," they nodded and headed off. "And Cam, be careful how you choose to get involved," Sensei told him sternly.

"Dad, I can help," he insisted. Ari watched from the entrance while the other three headed home.

"No, I mean really help! I'm tired of sitting around doing nothing!" Cam exclaimed, frustrated with being stuck in Ninja Ops.

"I have my reasons. I want you here," Sensei didn't back down, and Cam rolled his eyes, giving up. He turned and walked off, and Ari sighed before heading to bed.

1-2-3-4-5

Cam walked towards the botanical lab where his father's friend resided, a backpack over his shoulder as he looked about carefully.

"I knew you'd go anyway," he jumped as Ari suddenly seemed to appear beside him, grinning.

"Ari, what are you doing here?" Cam sighed as he stopped, and Ari grinned, her hands behind her back.

"Coming with you to get those funky seeds checked out," she told him brightly. "I've barely left Ninja Ops in days, I'm going crazy," she told him, and Cam shook his head, starting to walk again.

"Dad's going to kill you, he told you that you weren't supposed to leave until you were fully healed," he reminded her, and Ari smiled. While she felt fully recovered, she still had a couple of bruises, and her stomach was still tender.

"Not as much as he's going to kill you if he finds out," Ari pointed out, and Cam knew she was right. They walked down to the lab that was surrounded by flowers, and met up with the botanist.

"Have you ever seen one of these before?" Cam held out one of the seeds, and Dr Belrab took it from him.

"Oh yes," he nodded, speaking in a nasally voice. "It's called a sudima plant, it's very..." he squinted, before putting ion a thick pair of glasses and looking at the two. "Ah, yes, very rare," he nodded, and looked down at the seed again. "From the same family as the Venus Flytrap, only with a _slightly _more aggressive nature," he nodded.

"How much more aggressive?" Ari asked as she looked at the seed in the man's hand.

"Fully grown, this plant will devour everything in its path," he explained.

"So a lot more aggressive," the Gold Ranger summed up as Cam glanced at her.

"I think we may have a problem," he commented.

"Oh don't worry, they're harmless," Dr Belrab dismissed it. "Unless fertilised with a special nutrient bath, mineral water with a kick, so to speak," he laughed.

"Where do you get this special water?" Cam asked him with a frown.

"Well there's a volcanic spring north of here which produces a similar combination of minerals and phosphates," he told them as Cam took his glasses off and frowned.

"You're talking about Turner Springs!" he realised, and Ari watched him, not knowing what he meant.

"Yes," Dr Belrab nodded. "I've been experimenting with the waters on some of my plants here! Of course the trek is too hard for me to make often, I've got giant corns to worry about!" he exclaimed, and the two looked disgusted before he moved and they realised that there was giant corn behind him.

"Oh, yeah...thanks," Cam thanked the odd botanist and they left the lab, heading up to the Spring. They walked through the forest, looking around.

"Is that it?" Ari noticed a small body of water, and Cam nodded. He climbed out onto a tree branch that hung low over the water, and collected some of the spring water in a bottle. As he put it away into his bag, there was more rustling and they looked around. Kelzacks surrounded them, making their strange sounds. Cam leapt off the log, and looked around as Ari stood beside him. The two Kelzacks who tried to grab him on the branch fell into the water, and the rest ran at the pair.

Ari spun, kicking them and knocking two into the water. She darted around a tree as more ran at her, and she delivered quick punches and kicks to their backs. The Sun Ninja glanced over to Cam, who was holding his own just as well as she was. "You're good," Ari commented as she spun and knocked another Kelzack over.

"That's what growing up in a Ninja Academy does for you," Cam spoke quickly before kicking one that was running at Ari. They looked over as Shane joined them, kicking a Kelzack out of his way. "What are you doing here?" Cam demanded as the Red Ranger stood with them.

"Hey, good question, you first," Shane offered, and Cam frowned.

"Now isn't really the time for this," Ari rolled her eyes and punched another Kelzack. She grabbed the arm of another and flipped it into the others that ran at her, while Cam and Shane took care of the others.

"They're after the water, we've gotta stop them!" Cam yelled, running after the Kelzack that was rushing towards the spring with a bottle in hand. He flipped it, and Ari kicked the one that was running to stop Cam. Once they were all defeated, the Kelzacks ran off and the three regrouped.

"What was that all about?" Shane wondered, watching as the last of the Kelzacks fled. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" he turned to Cam, amazed by the genius' moves.

"Grew up in ninja school, do the math," Cam frowned, not liking how shocked the Red Ranger was.

"Hey, I'm just surprised. Didn't know you had it in you," Shane teased, and Cam just sighed.

"There's a lot you don't know about me Shane," he replied.

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?" Shane frowned.

"I gotta get the sample back," Cam didn't answer him, choosing instead to change the subject. Ari was frowning as she looked up at the genius, who was avoiding eye contact from both of them.

"Hey, what are you gonna tell your dad?" Shane asked curiously, knowing that Cam wasn't supposed to have been out.

"Don't worry about my father, I'll handle him," Cam brushed that off.

"Famous last words," Ari grinned as Cam tried to look determined, but there was a nervous look in his eyes.

"Oh, nobody 'handles' Sensei," Shane laughed lightly. "You should know that better than anybody," he pointed out, but Cam just walked away, and Ari ran to catch up with him. "Hey, he cares about you man, he doesn't want you getting hurt!" Shane defended Sensei as Cam stopped and looked around.

"Well, as you can see, he's got nothing to worry about," Cam shrugged, and kept walking.

"You know, it's ok to open up and talk to us," Ari told him softly, looking up at him with a weak smile. Cam didn't respond, just looking ahead. "Not all of us will pick on you for being you," finally Cam looked at her as Shane caught up and frowned at her words, but Ari was now looking ahead, looking thoughtful.

1-2-3-4-5

Needless to say, when they returned to Ninja Ops, Sensei was not happy at all. Ari sat in the corner with a book, trying to keep hidden.

"You deliberately went against my wishes by going off on your own. Ari may have gone with you, but she is not at full health yet, which puts you both in danger," Sensei told Cam. "I'm terribly disappointed in you, Cam," the genius sighed and looked around.

"How did you know?" he asked, and the chair he normally sat in turned around as Sensei looked up at him.

"I'm a ninja master. And your father," he reminded Cam. "Not a good combination if you're trying to pull a fast one. Son, I always knew this day would come. It's in your blood," he shook his head softly.

"Should I leave...?" Ari asked, looking nervous.

"No, it's fine," Cam shook his head. "I have nothing against Shane. Or Tori, or Dustin, or Ari. They've come a long way, but I know I could help," Cam told his father with determination. "And not just in here, but out there!" he spoke strongly.

"As a Power Ranger, perhaps?" Sensei asked, and Cam looked away.

"Yes, as a Power Ranger," he spoke firmly, looking back at his father again after a moment. "I don't see why you can't-"

"Cam, you could be the bravest Ranger of them all," Sensei interrupted Cam before he could start ranting, and took his son by surprise as Ari peeked up at him.

"Then why didn't you choose me?" Cam demanded, not understanding why his father refused to let him fight. Even Ari wondered, especially now that she had seen Cam's fighting skills in action.

"I am forbidden by a promise that was made many years ago," Sensei told him softly.

"A promise? To who?" Cam asked curiously.

"When your mother fell ill, I swore to protect you from harm," Sensei told him as Cam looked to the photo of his mother that was kept on the desk. "She knew only too well that a ninja's life is one of constant danger," he explained, and Cam breathed heavily as he grew angry.

"You made that promise when I was a helpless child," he growled, but Sensei spoke up again.

"There is nothing more sacred than a promise made to a loved one," he turned away.

"Mother would want this for me," Cam insisted. "She would want me to fulfil my potential!" he argued.

"Unfortunately, we will never know. I'm sorry," Sensei told him softly, and Cam shook his head and turned away, before the computer began to beep. One of the flowers had bloomed and was growing to huge heights at the botanic lab, and Tori and Dustin were caught in it's tendrils. "Quickly Cam," Sensei spoke as Cam ran over to the computer.

"Let me go, I can help them," Cam pleaded with his father as Ari stared at the massive plant that was swinging the Blue and Yellow Rangers around.

"No. Send Shane," Sensei ordered, and Cam contacted the Red Ranger.

"I'll head out too," Ari turned to go and join the others, before a tendril caught her wrist and yanked her up as another caught Sensei. Cam leapt up and swiped at the vines, but they seemed to be reinforced.

"These are some vicious vines!" Cam yelled, before running back over to the computer as Ari struggled to stay on the ground. "It says here that until Shane destroys the Primary plant, we can't stop its offspring," he fought off the vines that wrapped around his wrists. "Shane, I've been working on some programs to increase the strength of your sword blades! Prepare to download!" he told the Red Ranger, and hit the large button that transferred the power to Shane.

"Oh this is so not fun," Ari was swinging from the ceiling, until Shane took out the plant and the vines disappeared. Ari crashed to the ground, groaning.

"Good job Shane. Everyone ok there?" Cam asked as Ari got to her feet.

"_Yeah Cam, we're fine, thanks to you_," Shane responded, before they were attacked by the flower monster again.

"Ok, now I'm going to help them," Ari decided. "CELESTIAL STORM, RANGER FORM, HA!" she morphed and Ninja-streaked out of Ninja Ops, and towards the fight. As she blasted them with her powers, Ari slashed down with her Solar Blades, making her cry out while giving the others time to recover.

"Nice of you to join us," Tori commented as Ari landed beside her. Shane knocked the monster into a wall as Ari shrugged.

"Let's put 'em together!" Dustin called, and they combined their weapons as Ari joined her blades together. "STORM STRIKER!"

"What a night..." the monster staggered towards them.

"Solar strike!" Ari started to spin her swords.

"Fire!" the Wind Ninjas blasted her as Ari shot her own attack. The monster fell to the ground and exploded, and the Rangers cheered for the moment before she reappeared, much bigger.

"That's some fertiliser!" she laughed as she towered overhead.

"Man, I knew it! Cam, we need the Zords!" Shane contacted the genius.

"_You got it_!" the four Zords were sent to them, and Ari switched her Zord to its battle mode as the other three combined to make their Megazord.

"This won't take long. Lightning mode!" Shane called, changing the shape of the Megazord to its streamlined form.

"You don't scare me!" the monster yelled back.

"Maybe this will!" Ari's Swan Zord slammed into the back of her head.

"Or this! Ramp attack!" as the monster was stunned, the Rangers called on their attack and rolled straight into the monster, sending her flying with a scream. "Power down to battle mode," Shane switched back. "Let's whack this weed once and for all!" Shane called.

"Right! Blizzard flurry!" the Megazord blasted her with an icy attack, before they called on a power disk. As the monster recovered, Ari darted around, slamming her with punches and kicks as the others called on their serpent sword.

"One to the power of three!" the others created copies of their Megazord, and Ari leapt out of the way. "Serpent Sword, Triple Strike!" they slammed the three blades into the monster, destroying her once again.

1-2-3-4-5

"Come on Sensei," Shane pleaded with their teacher as the five stood together.

"We never would have found those seeds if we hadn't been out late," Tori insisted.

"I have taken that into consideration," Sensei noticed, and they looked hopeful. "Nonetheless, breaking rules cannot go unnoticed. Everyone, ten-mile jog, please," Ari frowned as the other three groaned.

"Hang on, I didn't go out late," she protested as the others complained before walking off. Cam just laughed.

"You disobeyed the order to stay here, Ari," Sensei told her, and Ari moaned before turning and going to leave, dragging her feet. "I said everyone," Cam's smile dropped when Sensei looked at him.

"Me? What did I do?" he complained as Ari looked around with a smirk.

"Besides sneaking out, fighting Kelzacks, and disobeying my direct orders?" Sensei listed, sounding amused.

"How old does someone have to be to do what they want?" Cam complained.

"No-one has ever lived that long Cam," Sensei replied seriously. "Now go. When you return, we will discuss your future training," Cam's eyes lit up.

"Training? But what about your promise?" he asked, unable to stop smiling.

"There are other ways, besides that of the ninja," Sensei told him, and Cam grinned before hurrying out to join in.

"Welcome to training, not as glamorous as you thought, huh?" Ari asked, and they both shivered as the cold wind hit them as soon as they went out.

"It'll be worth it," Cam grinned back, and Ari laughed, shaking her head before starting to jog, moving faster to catch up with the other Rangers.

**Thanks to all my awesome reviewers so far, you guys are great!**

**Hope you've been enjoying it!**


	7. Snip It, Snip It Good

Chapter 7: Snip It, Snip It Good

Ninja Ops was next to empty as the four Rangers stood waiting to start their lesson with Sensei. The table that usually sat in the middle, along with Sensei's little house, had been moved out of the way.

"Remember, a ninja's greatest enemy is himself," Sensei told them, and before they could ask, copies of themselves appeared in front of them, looking serious and determined. "You may begin," he instructed. Ari tilted her head as she studied herself. In her ninja gear, she actually almost looked her age. Especially with such a serious expression on her face.

"I get it! It's a ninja stare contest, right?" Dustin grinned and opened his eyes even wider to stare at his copy, who didn't even react to him.

"Uh...maybe we're supposed to fight?" Shane voiced as he looked to the other three. Ari just put her hands behind her back and smiled brightly at her clone, who mimicked her actions.

"Ok dude, I don't care how good looking you are, you're still going down," Dustin taunted his clone with a grin. His c lone smirked back and fell into a fighting stance as Shane and his clone did the same. Tori frowned, knowing that he was wrong, and Dustin knocked his clone's fist down, giggling until the replica did the same and smirked back. The two male ninjas started to fight their replicas, and Tori looked confused.

"This can't be what Sensei meant," she looked from the two, to her own copy, and then over to Ari, who still hadn't moved. She was now watching Shane and Dustin with an amused expression as they were evenly matched with their replicas. "You guys, I really don't think we're supposed to be fighting ourselves," she told them softly, before her eyes lit up in realisation. She looked back at her clone quickly. "That's it, isn't it?" she smiled at her clone, who winked and disappeared. Tori looked to the Sun Ninja beside her as her copy disappeared as well. Ari grinned, and they both looked over at Shane and Dustin as they were thrown to the floor. Their replicas disappeared as they lay groaning on the ground.

"Why is it so hard for guys to follow directions?" Tori wondered aloud, making Ari giggle as the two sat up.

"I'm tougher than I thought I was..." Shane complained as Cam walked back in, grinning in amusement.

"I can't believe I kicked my own butt," Dustin moaned as Cam walked up to a bookshelf, and Sensei landed beside him.

"Congratulations Tori," Sensei nodded to the Water Ninja as they all walked over. "And Ari, though I imagine you have learned this before?" he looked to the Sun Ninja as Dustin and Shane looked confused.

"Last year," Ari confirmed.

"But they didn't do anything!" Dustin protested in disbelief.

"Precisely," Sensei replied, and the two stopped. "He who battles himself can never emerge victorious," he told them as Cam lifted a scroll from the shelf.

"Ninja basics 101," he nodded.

"Oh...right, yeah I must have been sick that day..." Dustin commented.

"Sometimes caution is what wins the day," Sensei spoke softly as he looked at the four. "This is why it will be Tori who will seek the jade turtle," Tori frowned a little.

"Why do we need this turtle thing anyway?" Dustin questioned curiously, looking up at their teacher.

"When we revived the Zords, several key power spheres were kept hidden," Cam explained as he leaned forwards, rolling up the little scroll.

"Only to be retrieved when you mastered the skills necessary to do so," Sensei continued for his son.

"I hope I don't let you down, Sensei," Tori looked nervous at the thought of going on such an important quest alone.

"Trust in yourself," Sensei told her as Shane patted her back. "Your inner ninja will show you the way."

"And this is in case your inner ninja gets lost," Cam grinned and held out the scroll to Tori. She smiled, thanking him and taking the scroll.

"Hey Tori, you'll be great," Shane told the water ninja, who was still nervous.

"Thanks," Tori smiled at them as Ari and Dustin nodded, before looking around at Cam and Sensei. She smiled at them, and headed off to look for the jade turtle.

"So, what do we do while Tori's turtle-hunting?" Dustin asked as he clapped a hand on Shane's shoulder. The two walked forwards with grins as Ari watched them curiously.

"I'm glad you brought that up, Dustin," Sensei sounded a little amused as Cam grinned as well, not so subtle about it. "I have a special ninja project for the three of you," while Dustin and Shane laughed happily at this, Ari wondered just exactly what it was that had Cam grinning in amusement.

1-2-3-4-5

"Why did I get dragged into this?" Ari sighed as she hung upside down near to the conference centre. Dustin and Shane looked just as irritated. They watched as important people who ran Blue Bay Harbour walked into the building.

"Hey, you're wanting to be part of this team, right?" Shane looked at her with a frown, and Ari rolled her eyes, folding her arms.

"So let me get this straight...we do nothing?" Dustin frowned as he held onto Shane tightly.

"We watch, we listen, and we wait," Shane summed up, sounding bored already. "Anything happens, we react," he sighed.

"Ok, cool," Dustin nodded, and looked a little nervous. "But in the meantime, could we find some other place to hide? I think I'm losing my-whoa!" his hand slipped from Shane's jacket and he fell out of the tree, hitting the ground hard. Shane sighed as Ari watched with a look of concern as the Earth Ninja groaned.

1-2-3-4-5

The Chief Executive of the conference walked into the room, looking around as everyone spoke quietly amongst themselves.

"Let this meeting come to order," as soon as he spoke and sat down, everyone fell quiet and looked over to him. "Thank you all for coming here today. If we want to make an environmental difference globally, we must start locally," he told them with determination, and everyone clapped. A loud beeping noise echoed through the room, and the applause stopped as the man's smile dropped and he looked up. "I thought we agreed no cellphones," he frowned as he looked for who was responsible. Ari and Shane frowned at Dustin as he looked at his morpher quickly.

"You didn't turn it off!" Shane hissed at him as the three hid under the desk of the chief executive.

"Sorry, I forgot," Dustin whispered back. "What do we do?" he asked, praying that nobody knew they were there. Shane looked around, before using his power over air to blow the door open. The resulting wind blew peoples notes from the desks, distracting everyone so that the three could ninja-streak outside. They ran down the stairs to get outside, before their morphers beeped again.

"Go for Shane," the Red Ranger answered as they looked around the empty hallway.

"_I've been monitoring the police radios, disturbances have been reported all around you_," Cam alerted them, and they looked around, curiously.

"You sure? We haven't seen anything," Shane frowned, and they ran outside. The three skidded to a stop as they ran straight into a group of Kelzacks.

"I think we found the disturbance," Ari frowned as she fell into a fighting stance.

"I take it back. Call you later," Shane spoke into his morpher, and the three began to fight off the Kelzacks. "What's up with this?" he wondered with a frown as the three stood together, surrounded by the footsoldiers.

"Maybe they heard about the buffet?" Dustin suggested.

"How could they eat it? They don't have faces!" Ari exclaimed, and the three leapt at the Kelzacks. It didn't take long for them to take out the small group of Kelzacks, and as Ari kicked the last one into a wall, they heard a strange voice.

"Time for me to cut out!" a monster ran from the building, and they spun around.

"What was that?" Dustin looked over to their leader, whose eyes widened.

"The conference!" the three ran back in and were stunned to find the conference in total anarchy.

"And I thought things got ugly when those guys tried to pick on Chip in front of Vida for wearing a cape to school," Ari breathed as she stared at the fiasco in front of them. Their morphers beeped again, and Shane lifted his wrist up as he stared at a woman as she tackled a business man.

"_You didn't happen to see a giant alien with scissors lurking around, did you_?" Cam asked as the once calm and composed people yelled at each other furiously.

"Yeah, just checking out his handiwork," Shane replied.

"He's not exactly about spreading the love is he?" Dustin asked.

"_You better find him_."

"On it," Shane nodded, and the three left the conference to chase after the monster.

1-2-3-4-5

"This is great!" Snipster laughed as civilians fought it out all around him. Three ropes, one red, one yellow, and one gold grabbed hold of his arms and yanked him forwards.

"We got him on the ropes!" Dustin cheered with a laugh as they pulled him towards them.

"I'm sharper than that!" Snipster retorted, and blasted them with tiny lasers that threw the three backwards and forced them to release their ropes.

"This guy thinks he's a real cut-up!" Dustin exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's up to us!" Shane nodded as they jumped back up and stood together.

"Let's cut to the chase," he appeared behind them and slashed up, making them step back in surprise.

"What?" Shane frowned, and looked at Dustin.

"What are you looking at?" Dustin snapped at him. "Are you eyeballing me?!" he demanded, slapping the Red Ranger over the head.

"Yeah, what if I am?" Shane shoved past Ari to get in Dustin's face.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Ari shoved Shane back several steps.

"Get out of the way kid!" Shane growled and pushed her out of the way.

"I so sick of you calling me a kid!" Ari punched him hard across the helmet before tripping him.

"I was dealing with him!" Dustin yelled, and he and Ari started to fight, struggling to knock each other down. "Just get out of my way!" the Earth Ninja yelled as he finally knocked Ari to the ground. Their morphers beeped as Tori tried to contact them, but neither paid attention. Shane recovered and leapt up, tackling Dustin to the ground, and the pair rolled around as Snipster laughed, cheering them on. They called on their swords to fight, only for Ari to jump in with her own sword, slashing across both of them as she passed.

"You're both losers," she growled as she turned and blocked Shane's attacks. The three continued to knock each other about, and Snipster was quickly growing bored.

"This is taking forever," he complained. "Let's kick it up a notch!" he declared, and blasted them again, throwing them into a car. "Am I good or what?!" he cackled.

"_Use your inner strength to free yourself from the Snipster's spell_," Sensei's voice echoed through their heads as they hit the ground, groaning.

"Whoa, Sensei was just talking in my head," Shane frowned as he put a hand to his helmet.

"Mine too," Ari shivered.

"Sometimes that guy makes no sense," Dustin shook his head with a grin and got to his feet.

"Hold on...why were we fighting?" Shane asked as he glanced from Dustin, to Ari, and back. Even though his helmet had absorbed most of the damage, his cheek stung in pain.

"We were under a spell dude!" Dustin clapped his friend on the shoulder as Ari looked down at her sword in her hand.

"Oh, do you think?" Snipster spoke up, and they looked over at him.

"Hey, and you did it!" Dustin realised.

"Nice try, scissorhands! But nothing can break us apart for long!" Shane yelled as he pointed at him.

"Then I'll split you up the old-fashioned way!" Snipster yelled and ran at them. The three Ninjas met him and attacked him individually, before attacking together and destroying him.

1-2-3-4-5

"Hope we're not too late," Dustin looked around the quarry as he, Shane and Ari ran towards where Tori was, having heard that she was in trouble.

"Me too," Shane nodded, before Tori leapt down and ran over to them. She lowered her visor and grinned widely, and the others lowered their own visors.

"We got here as fast as we could. You ok?" Shane asked.

"No problems," Tori grinned, and held up the Jade Turtle proudly. "Everything is taken care of," she told them as they looked down at it.

"Hey! You got the turtle! Right on!" Dustin grinned as Ari leaned closer to study it.

"It's not very jade, is it?" she commented.

"Yeah. Marah and Kapri and I worked out a little deal," she smirked deviously. The other three looked at each other in confusion, but as Shane went to ask, Snipster reappeared, towering over them.

"Now, for the final cut!" he declared.

"Man, this guy is sheer torture. Cam, the Zords," Shane called into his morpher.

"_First you have to break the turtle, Tori_," Cam told them, horrifying Tori. "_Hurry_!" he called as Tori scowled, looking at the turtle in her hands.

"Does he have _any _idea what I went through to get this thing?!" Tori demanded angrily as she held it tightly.

"Better just do it," Shane shrugged. Tori nodded, still grumbling as she ran over to a rock and smashed it open. A tiny scroll fell out and rolled off the rock. "Cam, are you reading this?" Tori asked as she opened it to reveal coding.

"_Got it. I'm sending the Zords. I'll let you know when I have the new codes online_," he told the four, and sent their Zords to them.

"You guys ready?" Tori called.

"Oh yeah!" they leapt into their Zords and formed the Megazord as Ari stood beside them in her Swan Zord's fighter mode. Tori called on the Serpent Sword, and they swung it as Snipster ran at them. He blocked it and slashed across their front with his scissors. Ari ran at him, but he cut across her Zord's chest as well and she cried out as the Zord hit the ground.

"_Rangers, I'm offloading the codes to you by power disk_!" Cam told them, sending the Megazord a new weapon. "_The new weapon is called the Turtle Mace, and it's amazing_!" he exclaimed. The Wind Rangers called on their new weapon and threw it at Snipster, hitting him over and over.

"I've been shell-shocked!" Snipster exclaimed in horror.

"That's a terrible joke, even for the monsters," Ari commented, shaking her head.

"Turtle mace! Maximum power!" the mace began to glow blue, and slammed into Snipster one final time.

"Rock beats scissors..." he groaned and collapsed to the ground as the Rangers cheered for their latest victory.

"The statue was the hiding place for the turtle mace technology," Cam returned the two scrolls to their place on the shelves, and closed off the bookshelf before walking back down.

"How did the conference turn out?" Tori asked curiously as they walked over to Sensei.

"Though the city leaders resolved many issues, Lothor still remains a threat to the Blue Bay Harbour," Sensei explained as he looked up at them.

"Good thing we got their backs," Shane spoke, and the others nodded.

"Yes, it is," Sensei agreed.

"Yo Ari, you ok?" Dustin noticed Ari looking down, a strange expression on her face. She jolted, and looked up to see everyone watching her curiously.

"I..." she started, before she caught Shane's eye. She looked back down, her expression growing even more worried. "I'm fine. I'm going skating," she excused herself and hurried out before they could stop her, and while Tori looked confused, Cam shot Shane a frown and Dustin watched Ari disappear with a worried look.

**Updates are going to be very sporadic for a while, I'm going to be moving house and so have to pack, along with various other crap going on at the moment, but I'll try my best to update whenever I can!**

**I hope you like it anyways! Let me know what you think!**


	8. Return of Thunder Part 1

Chapter 8: Return of Thunder Part 1

Ari sped towards Storm Chargers on her skateboard, weaving around people with ease. As the sports shop came into view, Ari slowed to a stop and kicked her board into her hands, before walking inside.

"Hey Ari!" Dustin and Tori waved to Ari as she walked by, and she smiled back, raising a hand in greeting before disappearing into the back. "Man, she's still thinking about the other day, huh?" Dustin tore his gaze from the TV, which was showing the latest footage of his racing.

"You mean when Snipster made her fight with you guys and she took Shane down?" Tori frowned, having heard about it from Cam. Shane had just dismissed it, but Ari hadn't gone near him since. "I'm not surprised she did it, he's not been very welcoming," both Tori and Dustin had attempted to talk to Shane about his attitude towards Ari, with little success. He refused to accept that she could be a valuable team-mate in saving the world, when she was 3 years their junior, even after she had held her own against the Thunder Rangers while injured, and protected Dustin.

"Whatcha watching?" Ari walked out from the back, unclasping her helmet as she walked over to see them.

"Dustin on the track," Tori told her as Dustin hit play again and Ari watched him speed around a corner, kicking up a wave of dirt.

"You're really good," Ari commented. "I'd love to be anywhere near as good on my Tsunami Cycle," she chuckled as he grinned.

"Come down to the track sometime, we'll get some practice in," Dustin told her, and Ari smiled brightly.

"I'll join in on that," Tori nodded, and Dustin smirked at her.

"Yeah, you need the practice too," he taunted, and she slapped his arm as both he and Ari laughed. She dropped her helmet into the back before going to the counter to serve a customer. As he paid and left, an older man wearing a cap walked in, and smiled as he walked over to the young girl.

"Hi there," he smiled. "I'm looking for Kelly Holloway," he told her.

"She's not in at the moment, but I can get you the guy who is _supposed _to be in charge while she's away," Ari told him, and leaned on the counter. "Dustin! C'mere a second!" she called, and he grumbled for a moment before standing up and walking over.

"Hey, what's-" the Yellow Ranger stopped abruptly as he stared at the man with wide eyes. "Dude...you're-"

"Roger Hannah, nice to meet you," the man smiled, shaking the awed ninja's hand.

"Motocross guy?" Ari asked with a look of amusement as Dustin looked star-struck. Tori had walked over, looking curious.

"Five-time moto champ!" Dustin exclaimed. "More wins than anyone on the planet!" he told Ari, who looked impressed as the man laughed, clearly embarrassed.

"That might be a stretch," he chuckled, shrugging.

"You're team manager for Factory Blue," Dustin nodded as he added another impressive feat to the man's growing list. Then his eyes lit up. "Oh! Wait a minute!" Dustin dove for the videos on the table, searching frantically for his video. "Here, watch this tape, I've been busting some super fast lap times," he told the celebrity, who just laughed.

"Maybe another time. I'm looking for a couple of guys in particular. I hear they right at the local track sometimes," he told them.

"Oh don't tell me," Dustin grinned, shaking his head a little. "One big guy, one not so big guy?"

"Wear crimson and navy racing gear?" Ari added in, knowing exactly who he meant as well.

"Both insanely fast?" Dustin finished, and Roger Hannah nodded eagerly.

"So you know them?" he looked from Dustin, to Ari, and back.

"Blake and Hunter?" Tori spoke up with a smile. "You could say we know them," she nodded.

"Then you can tell me where to find them?" he asked hopefully, which only made Tori's smile drop.

"I really wish I could," she spoke as she looked sad. Dustin grinned widely as he nodded at Roger Hannah.

"She does. Trust me, she's um, got this thing for-"

"Don't go there," Tori cut him off with a cold warning, making both Dustin and Ari giggle.

"Here's my card, if you run into them, have them call me," Roger Hannah handed Dustin his card, and Ari leaned over the counter to see it as Tori stalked off. "It's important," he added.

"Sure thing. Later," Dustin waved to him, before slipping the card into his pocket. "Wow, can you believe Roger Hannah-" Dustin stopped as he realised that Tori had walked off. Ari looked around as she heard movement behind her, and frowned.

"Uh, you might want to get back here," Ari glanced to Dustin, whose eyes widened. He darted into the back where Tori was crouched beside his bike.

"What are you doing?" Dustin asked, the worry clear in his voice as he hurried over to Tori.

"I'm borrowing your bike," Tori replied simply, and Ari grinned. She knew just how possessive Dustin was of his bike, and for good reason. It was like his baby.

"No, you see how that usually work is that you ask me first," Tori rolled her eyes. "And then I think about it for like..._half a second_, and then I tell you that the only way that I'd let you ride my race bike, is if you tied me down and tortured me!" Dustin exclaimed, completely truthful.

"You really want it to come to that?" she frowned in a challenge.

"Tori, I just did a prep! It's perfect!" Dustin argued, terrified that he was going to have to let her ride his bike.

"Look, I really miss Blake," Tori admitted softly, and Dustin's frown lightened. "And riding makes me feel like he's still around. And since Cam keeps the Tsunami Cycles under lock and key, this is as close as it gets," she told him, and Dustin struggled to find a way to argue with her. "Please!" Tori exclaimed desperately, and Dustin groaned, stepping back.

"Alright! Fine!" he finally admitted defeat, making Tori's smile return. "But if you bend the bars, or break the shifter off, you have to-"

"Fix it," Tori finished with a nod. "I know," she told him seriously, and pushed the bike away from them.

"So I'm guessing practice is on hold for a bit?" Ari grinned, and Dustin groaned, walking off as Ari laughed and returned to the counter.

1-2-3-4-5

Ari hit the ground hard, breathing heavily as a trickle of sweat ran down her forehead. Dustin stood over her, grinning.

"Give up?" he asked, breathing just as heavily as Ari looked up at him. She grinned widely, matching his own.

"I don't give up," Ari replied, pushing herself up quickly. Dustin narrowly avoided her punch, but was unable to block her powerful kick that caused him to stumble backwards. He stumbled backwards, and Ari followed. Dustin swung a punch of his own, which Ari dodged. She moved behind him and caught him with a quick jab to the shoulder, before catching him with a kick to the back of the knee that forced him down to the ground. "Do you?" she asked with a laugh as she leaned over.

"Nope!" Dustin grabbed her and flipped her over his shoulder. Ari barely managed to recover in time to land on her feet, and spun around, swinging a kick that knocked him to the ground. Before he could recover this time, she caught his arm and forced it behind his back, and pressed her knee into his lower back.

"How about now?" Ari questioned as Dustin struggled to break free.

"Alright, alright," Dustin laughed as Ari grinned. "I give," he surrendered, and Ari released him, letting him get back to his feet as she giggled. "Nice move," he complimented.

"Thanks," Ari smiled and walked over to where Cam was sitting at his computer. "What about you Cam? You up for a match?" she asked as she leaned on the back of the chair.

"No thanks," Cam grinned as he didn't look up from the computer.

"Why, scared you'll lose?" Dustin grinned, sitting on the table as he caught his breath.

"No," Cam rolled his eyes and looked around. "Worried that I'll break something taking you both down," he smirked, and both the Gold and Yellow Rangers started laughing.

"Fair enough, Mr 'I grew up in a Ninja school'," Ari grinned and took a seat, catching her breath as well. They looked up as Tori walked in, looking nervous.

"Uh guys, I have to talk to you," Dustin's smile dropped as he saw her dishevelled state.

"Oh...this is going to be fun," Ari grinned as she saw his face. Tori's nervous look only increased.

1-2-3-4-5

Shane, Dustin, Ari, Cam and Sensei all listened in silence and disbelief. Tori told them of how Blake and Hunter had returned to Blue Bay Harbour, with an apparent way to get onto Lothor's ship, courtesy of Choobo.

"I don't buy it," the moment Tori had finished explaining, Shane spoke up, shaking his head in disbelief. "Why would Choobo just all of a sudden decide to turn good?" he asked, looking to Dustin as Cam and Ari stood above.

"I must agree with Shane," Sensei spoke up from his little house. "It sounds far too convenient," he shook his head, not liking the sound of it.

"Hunter and Blake said they were going to check it out," Tori told them. "Even if they get in the ship, they won't attack until they can bring us in for backup," Tori repeated what Blake had told her.

"It still sounds like a trap. Even if they get hold of two Rangers, that's still bad news for us," Ari stated from beside Cam. "Especially if it's those two," she added, and Cam nodded.

"They're just going to see what the deal is," Tori argued.

"Well, it gives us time anyway," Dustin stated seriously, and Tori frowned in confusion.

"For what?" she asked curiously.

"For you to fix my bike, Miss Freestyle, No-hand Landing," Dustin shot her a disgusted look, and Tori went red as the others laughed at her.

"It wasn't that bad!" Tori defended as her blush grew. "I just took a little spill..." she mumbled, not meeting his gaze.

"The fender is facing backwards," Dustin told her flatly, and Ari laughed even harder as Shane nodded seriously. Tori went even redder.

"Alright!" she whined as they kept laughing at her.

1-2-3-4-5

Ari held out a bag to a customer, who thanked her and moved off, and as she served the next customer, Roger Hannah walked into the shop again, looking around.

"Back again?" Ari looked amused as he walked over.

"Yeah, I heard from your friend that Hunter and Blake were back in town," he nodded with a smile.

"That they are," Ari confirmed as she rang up racing gloves for a customer that was staring in awe at the famous racer. "Stick around for a bit, they'll be in soon enough," she told him, and he thanked her before looking around. As Ari restocked the helmets, Hunter and Blake walked in, and she smiled. "Hey guys," she greeted, and they looked at her coldly, taking her by surprise.

"What do you want?" Hunter asked roughly, not even looking at her as he looked around the shop.

"Um..." Ari immediately became hesitant as Blake watched her with a look that was just as hostile as his brother's tone. "Roger Hannah is here, he's been looking for you guys. I think he wants to sign you guys up for Factory Blue," she spoke in a soft voice, and they walked off, straight over to the man. "You're welcome..." tears stung at Ari's eyes as she shoved the last of the helmets onto the rack and stormed off into the back to dump the box there. She watched as the Thunder Ninjas spoke with Roger Hannah, much warmer with him than they had been with her.

Dustin walked into Storm Chargers and immediately walked over to the pair as Roger Hannah left, grinning brightly as they looked at him, their smiles instantly dropping. Ari watched curiously as the two just left, ignoring Dustin.

"Blew you off too, huh?" Ari walked over to Dustin, who looked down at her in surprise.

"Yeah, I don't get it..." he frowned, and Ari looked over to Kelly.

"My shift's about up, you mind if I take off?" she asked, and the red-head nodded with a smile.

"Go for it," she told her, and Ari thanked her before grabbing Dustin's arm and pulling him out of the shop.

1-2-3-4-5

The Yellow and Gold Rangers walked down into Ninja Ops, were Tori and Shane were already waiting, training in the meantime.

"I trust them," they heard Tori say, and looked to each other before walking in.

"If 'them', is Blake and Hunter, you might wanna rethink that," Dustin grumbled as they walked past the sparring pair. They followed the two into the main room, not understanding Dustin's words.

"What's up?" Shane asked as they walked inside.

"I just saw them in the shop, and they just totally blew me off!" Dustin explained angrily.

"Same here," Ari nodded.

"I dunno, it was like déjà-vu all over again!" he complained, shaking his head.

"Technically, that's impossible, Dustin," Cam looked up from the bookshelf, having been looking through a book.

"Whatever man," Dustin shrugged. "I'm telling you, these guys are suffering from a major brain fade, ok? It's like our little adventure in the Cavern of Lost Souls never happened," he told them.

"But I thought we were all cool," Tori spoke slowly as a frown made its way onto her face.

"Yeah, and like those guys are ever reliable," Shane rolled his eyes.

"I dunno, I think it might be something to do with going onto Lothor's ship," Ari sat on the table and they all looked at her curiously. "It could be that they've done something to make Hunter and Blake think we're the enemy again, maybe wipe their memory of the Cavern?" she suggested, and Shane scoffed.

"What makes you think that?" he asked, clearly doubting what she was saying.

"Because their parents appeared to them and told them that Lothor was the bad guy," Ari looked at him sharply, frowning at him. "I know that if it was..." she trailed off, going red.

"Was what?" Tori questioned, looking curiously as Ari looked at her hands.

"I know that if it were my biological parents, I wouldn't forget it _or_ disregard what they said," her voice was small and almost sad as Cam looked around and the other three went quiet, all of them surprised at her words. Before anyone could think of what to say, the computer beeped.

"Well this guy looks like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Cam frowned as he walked over to the computer. A giant snail-like monster chased a couple of yelling construction workers off.

"Where does Lothor actually get these creeps?" Shane rolled his eyes as they gathered around.

"Do you want to say it? Or should I?" Tori asked him. Shane nodded, and the three walked away from Cam as they lined up.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"NINJA STORM!"

"CELESTIAL STORM!"

"RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Power of Water!"

"Air!"

"Earth!"

"Power of the Sun!" they ran off, heading to the construction site to take on the strange snail.

1-2-3-4-5

The four reached the construction site where Lothor's latest monster had been sighted, and were greeted by silence. Nobody was around, and there wasn't a sound being made.

"I don't see anything," Shane frowned as he looked around.

"I hate to bring it up, but that's _always _how it starts," Tori reminded him as the four stuck together. Smoke began to pour out of pipes nearby with a loud hissing noise, breaking the silence around them. It clouded around them, hindering their vision.

"Brutal smog alert!" Dustin complained as a powerful smell reached them. "Where is this dude?" he wondered, before a hand slammed into each of them, knocking to the ground.

"I rest my case," Tori groaned.

"Where the heck is he?" Ari squinted to try and see through the smoke.

"Well, if if it isn't the world famous Power Rangers," finally the snail-like monster appeared through the smoke. "You know, you look taller on TV," he mocked.

"Anyone ever tell you that you look uglier in person?" Dustin growled.

"I hate snails," Ari held her sword up as she got to her feet.

"Not a problem!" Shane called, and the four got ready to fight him. However, as they went to attack, something hit them from behind, making them cry out and hit the ground hard.

"What?" Shane groaned, and they looked up at their attackers and were stunned to find Hunter and Blake.

"Hey, remember us?" Blake called down as they got to their feet.

"I knew it..." Ari mumbled as the two laughed.

"What are you doing?" Tori demanded in horror, but the two just nodded to each other and leapt down, running at them.

"Wait!" Shane yelled as he blocked a hit aimed at him. Shane took on Blake, while Dustin, Tori and Ari fought Hunter. He overwhelmed Dustin instantly, and slammed him to the ground. Tori attempted to blast him with water, but Hunter created a shield that repelled it and sent Tori flying.

"Try this then!" Ari held out her hands. "Solar Blades!" the two long swords appeared in golden lights, and she grabbed them before running at Hunter. He blocked her attack with his staff, but she moved out of the way of his counter attack and kicked him back.

"This isn't your fight Sun Ranger, we only want those three gone," Hunter growled as their weapons clashed again.

"Well too bad," Ari replied as she felt herself being pushed back. "They're the good guys. Lothor's pulled some mind trick on you guys. Don't you remember the Cavern of Lost Souls?" she asked, and he hesitated for a moment before shoving her with even more force. Hunter knocked her swords out of the way and slammed his staff into her stomach and threw her to the ground. Ari rolled along, and the others ran over to her as Blake and Hunter stood together.

"You ok?" Tori asked as she helped Ari up. They looked up as the two Thunder Ninjas walked towards them, and Hunter fired his Crimson Blaster, knocking them flying.

"Wait! Come back!" the Snail ran in front of Hunter and Blake before they could chase after the four. "I'm just getting gassed up!" he turned into smoke and chased after the four as they ran off.

1-2-3-4-5

"Where are we going?" Dustin shouted to Shane as the four ran through the empty building to escape Hunter and Blake.

"Away from that stanky smell!" Shane called back as he turned a corner.

"Works for me!" Tori nodded as the smoke followed them.

"He's fast for a snail," Ari groaned as they kept running, looking for a way out.

"You can't run away from my furious fumes, Rangers!" the snail cackled, and hit them as they reached a dead end. They cried out as they were hit over and over again, and thrown over the ledge. "This gas is a total blast!" he laughed as they hit the ground hard.

"This guy's stinking up my whole day," Shane grumbled as he got to his feet.

"I think he needs to be smog-checked," Tori spoke, getting to her feet as well.

"You got that right," Dustin agreed.

"Anyone got a giant fan?" Ari asked as they looked up at the snail.

"Alright, how about we put the 'wind' in Wind Rangers?" Shane called as he looked to the Yellow and Blue Rangers, who nodded in agreement. Ari just rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah, like I'm afraid of wind!" the monster yelled from above, having heard Shane's words.

"Then come on down!" Shane challenged.

"Unless you're too chicken!" Tori added mockingly.

"Don't be shellfish! Come on!" Dustin laughed as he taunted the monster, who growled in irritation.

"Oh, it is so on!" he yelled, and leapt down to face them. "Mega Morning Breath!" he fired more gas at them, which made the four start coughing, choking on the foul stench.

"Whoa, try a mint!" Shane yelled. "Ready?" he called, and the other three stood behind him, all of them back to back. "Let's put him in the spin cycle!" they linked arms and started spinning, blowing away the gas.

"Hey, no fair! I'm supposed to gas you!" he yelled, and Shane called on his Ninja Sword, powering it up. He attacked the monster and threw him outside, and they followed him quickly.

"Storm Striker!" they called on their weapons as Ari combined her Storm Blades. "Fire!"

"Solar Strike!" the two attacks combined and slammed into him, destroying him. Before long, he had grown, and the four jumped back.

"A giant alien. There's a surprise," Tori rolled her eyes.

"Cam, your thoughts?" Shane called into his morpher.

"_I'm thinking Megazord_," Cam replied, sending them their Zords.

"You are about to get shell-shocked!" the snail called as the Wind Rangers formed their Megazord. He disappeared into his shell and it flew at the two, hitting them over and over before he landed, reappearing and laughing.

"Lightning Megazord, power up!" the Megazord switched forms as the snail and Ari's Swan Zord fought, with Ari being pushed backwards.

"You want some more?" the snail disappeared and flew at them again, but this time they were ready, calling on their ramp attack. The two attacks collided, and the monster was thrown backwards, crashing to the ground.

"Lightning mode, power down," the Megazord returned to normal as Toxipod was forced from his shell.

"Yeah, it's out turn!" their attention was divided as Blake and Hunter burst onto the scene in their Zords.

"Well that's just what we need," Ari groaned. The two Zords stopped for a moment, before a blast of red light hit them and the two revved up again.

"Power Sphere! Serpent Sword!" the Wind Rangers called on their weapon, and divided, attacking with three times the power, destroying Toxipod. The Thunder Rangers snapped back into action, and called on their Megazord. They called on the weapon that they had stolen from the Wind Ninjas, and the two clashed as they swung their weapons.

"Don't forget about me!" Ari's Zord slammed into the Thunder Megazord and knocked it back. She moved out of the way as they recovered and got back to their feet, but as they went to retaliate, lights hit the snail shell, which exploded and hit all three Zords. "What's happening?" Ari called as sparks flew from her suit, before she disappeared from the cockpit, as did the other Rangers, including Hunter and Blake.

**Hope you liked it!**


	9. Return of Thunder Part 2

Chapter 9: Return of Thunder Part 2

As she regained consciousness, Ari let out a soft moan, and felt water lightly splash her face.

"Wh...what?" she opened her eyes, and sat up quickly. "The sea?" Ari wondered aloud as she stared out at an endless stretch of water that rolled towards her. "Where am I?" she asked as she brushed sand off her shorts.

"Ari!" she looked around as Dustin, Tori and Shane looked down at her from up a hill. "Are you ok?" Tori asked as Ari ran up to join them quickly.

"Other than a headache, I'm fine. Where are we?" she asked as she looked around curiously. Other than the sound of waves hitting the beach, there was nothing.

"Some island. Pretty sure it's deserted," Shane spoke quickly without looking at her. "Can't get through to Cam either, so don't bother," he said as Ari looked down at her morpher curiously.

"Shane, lighten up," Tori's voice was angry, and Ari looked at her, surprised at her tone.

"Lighten up?" Shane spun around to look at them furiously. "We're stuck on some deserted island with no way off and no way to contact the rest of the world!" he yelled at them. "While you guys take it easy, _I'll _get us off this stupid island," Shane stormed off, leaving the other three behind.

"Don't worry," Dustin clapped Ari on the shoulder. "We're going to trade him in for a Green Ranger," he told her, making the Gold Ranger giggle.

"Green is a better colour," she agreed, and the other two grinned before following Shane along. They all stopped abruptly as a blur shot past, into the forest. "Ok, I wasn't the only one who saw that, right? I'm too young to be going crazy," Ari muttered as she tensed up.

"You're too young for a lot of things," Shane muttered without looking around, and Ari rolled her eyes. "But I saw it too," he nodded, before another blur shot past as well. "Over there!" the four took off into the forest, chasing the blurs. "Hold up!" Shane called as he slowed to a stop, and Tori, Dustin and Ari skidded to a halt behind him. "It came this way...I saw it," he told them.

"Good eye, Shane," Blake smirked as he and Hunter suddenly appeared in front of them.

"You ever wonder if two Thunder Ninjas got into a fight with three Wind Ninjas and a Sun Ninja, who would win?" Hunter challenged with a smirk of his own.

"No-one," Tori shook her head.

"The only way to win is we worked together," Ari spoke softly.

"Which I thought we were doing," Dustin added.

"Guess you were wrong," Blake smirked back, not phased by their words.

"Tell you what, we'll even give you a head start, if you wanna run," Hunter offered mockingly, and Shane let out a low laugh.

"Sorry Tor, whatever is up with these guys, we're not going to fix it by letting them stomp us," Shane told the Water Ninja as the smirks dropped from the Thunder Rangers faces and they slowly moved into a fighting stance.

"Oh, I have no intention of letting them stomp us," Tori frowned, and all four grabbed their shirts and pulled them off, revealing their ninja gear.

"We don't want to fight you!" Dustin insisted as he reluctantly got ready to fight.

"But you give us no choice," Shane growled.

"Enough talk," Hunter ignored their words, and he and his brother ran at the four. They fought each other in the trees, until Shane and Hunter Ninja-streaked to the beach, and the others followed suit.

"You having fun yet?" Shane growled as he faced Hunter.

"No, but there's always this!"

"THUNDER STORM, RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Power of Thunder!" the pair morphed into their Crimson and Navy suits.

"We knew that was coming," Dustin grumbled irritably.

"When's it anything but this?" Ari questioned as she rolled her eyes.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"NINJA STORM!"

"CELESTIAL STORM!"

"RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Power of Earth!"

"Air!"

"Water!"

"Power of the Sun!"

"Oh, it's on now!" Blake called as they morphed. "We're through taking it easy on you!" he declared.

"You're right Shane," Tori admitted with a sigh. "They're not going to listen to reason."

"If it's them or us, I choose us," Dustin agreed.

"Thank you. Finally someone's listening to me," Shane sighed as he got ready to draw his sword. Ari just shook her head. While she wasn't about to let them take her out, she knew there was a way to get them back to normal. The four drew their swords, and the fighting continued. However, the Thunder Rangers easy overpowered them, and Dustin was thrown into the water.

"Blake, stop!" the Navy Ranger's staff blocked Ari's attack, but she kept pushing. "Why are you attacking us? What's the reason behind it?" she asked as her heels dug in, but she was slowly being shoved backwards.

"I..." Blake hesitated, before Hunter's Crimson Blaster caught Ari and she went flying with a cry. He turned and blasted the other three, who flew into the air before landing hard.

"You've got to stop this..." Shane groaned, trying to get to his feet.

"Say goodbye, Rangers," Hunter didn't listen as he and Blake stood in front of the three, before Ari stepped in the way, raising her arms.

"Ari, get out of the way!" Shane yelled, but the Gold Ranger didn't listen to him.

"Think about it. Why are you trying to destroy us? Because Lothor said so?" she asked, her voice quivering a little in fear. Hunter's blaster was aimed at her, ready to hit her again. "What kind of reason is that? Have you really forgotten about what happened only a couple of weeks ago? You guys know we're not you're enemy," Ari pleaded. For a moment, it seemed to work. Hunter lowered his blaster and looked away. However, Blake didn't listen.

"You're getting annoying!" Ari gasped and stepped back as Blake leapt at her, before she dove out of the way. The Wind Ninjas blasted the pair, before combining their weapons.

"Storm Striker! Fire!" they blasted Hunter and Blake, who went flying. They staggered to their feet, but were taken down by the Wind Ninjas' swords.

"Oh...my head..." Blake groaned, as he tried to stand. His visor was down, and as Hunter lifted his head, they found that his was too.

"Where are we?" the Crimson Ranger wondered as the four standing cautiously in front of them lowered their visors. "Are you alright?" he asked Blake as they got to their feet.

"Yeah," Blake nodded, before they noticed the four.

"What are you guys doing here?" Hunter frowned, completely confused.

"You guys ok?" Shane called over, and they nodded.

"What happened?" Hunter asked.

"They seem themselves," Tori nodded as she looked to the other three. Shane just shrugged.

"Hey!" Choobo's voice echoed down to them, and all of them looked up at the tall cliff, where the green alien was standing looking down at them. "You down there, in the bug suits!" he shouted.

"He better not be talking to us," Hunter growled, his visor coming up to hide his face again.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you!" Choobo yelled down at them. "I worked too hard for you to mess things up now!" no sooner had he finished speaking, did an explosion send rocks and sand flying everywhere. In the smoke, a familiar monster appeared, laughing.

"You can't keep a good snail down!" he declared. "Did you miss me?" he taunted.

"Still hate snails just as much as ever," Ari shuddered as his eyes started to glow.

"Watch out!" Shane yelled, before they were all knocked off their feet by SuperToxipod's attack. They hit the ground hard, and the two Thunder Rangers landed nearby.

"Didn't we already fight this guy?" Shane grumbled as he pushed himself up.

"But he smells even worse!" Tori groaned as they caught a whiff of his powerful stench.

"Everything about me is worse!" SuperToxipod declared.

"Oh, now what does he want?" Dustin whined as the monster laughed loudly.

"Want?" SuperToxipod repeated as he walked towards them. He laughed again. "I want to sink this island with you on it!" he announced. "I want to cause an atmospheric reaction that will drop the temperature to 100 degree below zero! I want payback!" he roared furiously, and blasted them off their feet before Kelzacks ran at them.

"How'd they get here?" Tori yelled as they threw her about.

"Maybe they got a group rate?" Dustin gulped as they were knocked about.

"However they got here, they're headed home!" Ari held out her hands. "Solar Blades!" she called on her swords and started fighting back, before a light flew down and hit Hunter, making him cry out. "What the heck?" at first, it didn't seem to do anything, until Hunter suddenly turned and hit Blake with his staff.

"Whoa! Now they're fighting each other!" Shane noticed what was going on as Hunter continued to attack his brother.

"That's crazy!" Tori cried out, before Ari shot past her. "Ari?" she frowned, before being swarmed by Kelzacks. As Blake pleaded for Hunter to stop, the Crimson Ranger just kept attacking him, until Ari blocked him with her swords, standing in front of Blake as he staggered back and hit the ground hard.

"Get out of the way!" Hunter snarled at her as he pushed, but Ari's swords had blocked it in a way that gave her more leverage than him.

"No Hunter, he's your brother!" Ari shook her head firmly.

"Hey, what's taking so long?" Choobo demanded from nearby. "Finish off those Rangers so we can take control of the planet! It'll be a cold new world!" he declared. SuperToxipod kept attacking the three Wind Ninjas, and Ari refused to let Hunter's attack go through.

"Back up Ari, or I'll take you out too!" Hunter snarled.

"No!" Ari shook her head. "They've messed with your head again, Blake isn't your enemy here, Choobo, the creepy snail thing, they're your enemy," she insisted, and felt the constant pressure against her swords lighten.

"You got zapped with that beam, remember?" Blake pleaded from the ground.

"More lies! Don't listen to them!" Choobo yelled at the Crimson Ranger.

"But I..." Hunter's voice was strained.

"Hunter, looking into your heart, you know the truth," Blake insisted, before a cloud of the toxic smoke blew out, straight at them. Reacting instantly, Hunter shoved Ari out of the way, and took the hit with a cry as Blake rolled out of the way.

"What's happening to me?" he yelled as slime began to cover his helmet.

"The steam!" Ari gasped as the others looked up.

"Right in the face," Tori groaned.

"It's going from bad to worse!" Dustin gulped as Hunter fell to his knees. After a moment, his yelling stopped, and he leapt up.

"This is the end Blake!" he roared as he ran at his brother.

"No!" Tori cried as they got to their feet and ran to help. Shane took on SuperToxipod, while the others tackled Hunter and forced him away from Blake.

"Don't hurt him!" Blake pleaded with them as Hunter struggled in their grip.

"Tell that to him!" Ari yelled, and Hunter threw them all off. As he went to attack them, Blake grabbed him, only to be knocked to the ground. Hunter threw him about like a ragdoll, ignoring Blake's words completely.

"Get off him!" Shane tackled Hunter. He rolled along the ground as the four other Rangers stood over Blake. "This has gone far enough! Ninja Smoke Screen!" different coloured smoke puffed up around them, and they disappeared.

1-2-3-4-5

Demorphed and having to help the unconscious yet still morphed Navy Ranger, the four hurried into a large cavern that provided them from cover from Choobo, SuperToxipod, and now Hunter.

"Blake, wake up," Tori knelt beside Blake as they lay him down in the damp sand. "Please wake up," tears burned at her eyes, before navy sparks began to fly from his suit. "What's happening to him?" Tori cried as they all backed away, and Blake demorphed, lying unconscious. "Blake!" as soon as she knew it was safe, Tori was back down, shaking him to try and wake him. As they gathered around him, Blake's eyes flew open and he jumped, struggling as they caught him.

"Hey, it's ok," Ari managed a soft smile as she crouched beside Tori.

"You're alright," Tori nodded as he looked up at them, disorientated and confused.

1-2-3-4-5

After he had finished recovering, Blake stood on the edge of a cliff, watching the sea as he thought about all that was going on.

"Hunter is the only family I have," Blake admitted as he turned to face the four Ninjas standing behind him. "He's always been there for me, and now he needs my help. For the first time in our lives, he needs me. I'm not going to let him down," Blake told them with determination. He wasn't going to lose this fight.

"We'll do whatever we can," Tori smiled to him.

"Shane, that wasn't us back there," Blake told the skateboarder, who he knew was still a little wary of him.

"I know," Shane nodded. "I should have known. We're there for you bro," he told Blake, and the others nodded in agreement. Blake managed a small smile as he nodded back at them.

**Hope you liked it!**


	10. Return of Thunder Part 3

Chapter 10: Return of Thunder Part 3

The five Rangers walked along the beach, by the sea as the waves got rougher and rougher by the hour. Dustin shivered, and rubbed his arms in an attempt to warm up.

"Is it me, or is it starting to get seriously cold?" he asked as the others shivered as well.

"Most of the time I'd say it was just you, but it is definitely getting colder here," Shane admitted.

"The sun is completely covered here," Ari looked up at the sky. The clouds completely blocked out any sign of the sky, or the sun, and Ari didn't like it. As a Sun Ninja, she was connected to it, and Sensei Sugiura had told her that she was more connected than any he had ever met. When the sun was completely covered, Ari felt uneasy, and it wasn't helping their current situation.

"I'd really like to know why we can morph, but we can't reach Ninja Ops," Tori grumbled, choosing to take her mind off the cold.

"Yeah, well I'd settle for knowing where we are," Shane sighed.

"Portico Island," four sets of eyes landed on Blake as he spoke for the first time since they had left the cliff. When he realised that they had stopped and were now staring at him, Blake stopped and looked around. "What?" he frowned.

"Anything else you'd like to share with us?" Ari asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, you don't wanna know," Blake shook his head quickly. "Trust me," he looked a little nervous.

"Trust us. We do," Tori responded, and Blake sighed heavily.

"I heard Lothor talking to his pals before he sent Hunter and me back to Earth. This place doesn't exist on any map, and it rises from the sea like once every 200 years or something," Blake explained as they listened curiously.

"And then what?" Dustin frowned, not understanding.

"Well that's the part that's kinda harsh..." Blake trailed off, not answering, but they figured it out anyway.

"You're telling us that this whole place is sinking back into the ocean?!" Tori demanded. Blake gave her a wry smile.

"I told ya you didn't want to know," he replied.

"We'd better find some higher ground. Come on," Shane called, leading them off the beach.

1-2-3-4-5

The group made their way to the top of a hill, while Dustin holding a long stick that he mainly used to poke the ground as they walked along. Deciding to take a break, they sat down, catching their breaths.

"Yo Ari," the Gold Ninja looked around at Blake in surprise as he sat down near her. "Thanks for earlier. For helping snap Hunter out of it, even if it was just for a second. And for protecting me against him," he smiled softly, and Ari managed one of her own.

"Don't worry about it," she told him, aware that Tori was smiling thankfully too.

"Actually, we will," Shane's voice was flat, and they all looked around at him as he leaned against a tree. "You do it a lot. You blocked a hit meant for Dustin, and wound up being out of commission for a couple of battles. You tried to fight Hunter and Blake when you were still injured, and were hurt even worse!" Ari was staring at her hands as tears burned at her eyes. "Then you nearly get yourself killed when you step between Hunter and us earlier! And what if Blake had still been against us, and when you shielded him, he hit you from behind?" Shane demanded coldly as he watched the Sun Ninja.

"I-"

"You're trying to impress us, and it may have worked on Dustin and Tori, but what's the point if you get yourself killed in the process?" Shane demanded, and Ari's head lowered as she fought to contain her tears.

"Shane, you're going too far," Tori was on her feet in an instant. "Ari has saved us so many times, and you're still always criticising her and commenting on her age," she defended Ari, who looked up in surprise. "Yeah, we were all a little worried when she first joined us, but she has _more_ than proven herself against us," the Water Ninja told him firmly.

"Tori's right dude," Dustin nodded as he stood beside her. "Ari's part of the team, you need to treat her like it. Hell, even Cam and Sensei are impressed by her!" he managed to tell their leader, who scowled at him. Blake stood on Tori's other side, not saying anything, but making it clear that he disagreed with Shane.

"Jumping in front of a couple of attacks isn't enough to impress me," Shane turned away, and Ari sighed.

"I know," her voice was soft, and the three standing between her and Shane looked around at her. "But just because _you _think that I'm not good enough to be on this team doesn't mean I'm not good enough. I am a part of this team, whether you like it or not. And right now, your opinion of my place on this team doesn't matter. What matters is finding Hunter and helping him," Ari told him as she looked determined, and Shane stared at her for a moment before scoffing.

"Whatever," he looked away, and the others sighed.

"Speaking of Hunter, is anyone else worried that we haven't seen him in a couple of hours?" Dustin spoke up, choosing to change the subject.

"Not me," Shane shook his head. "I can use the break from getting my butt whupped," he grumbled, and Blake looked around with a frown. "Hey, no offence, but your bro isn't actually playing well with others these days," Shane folded his arms as he became defensive.

"Look, Hunter is a great Ranger. One day, you're all gonna be glad that he's got those powers," Blake defended with a frown.

"Sure. The day he stops using them on us," Shane muttered.

"Yeah, it's not like he got hit with the same toxic steam that made a Kelzack take out the rest of the Kelzacks," Ari rolled her eyes, earning a glare from Shane.

"How did you get them anyway?" Tori asked curiously as she took a seat beside Dustin as he poked the ground.

"What?" Blake frowned.

"Your powers," Ari moved up beside Dustin as well.

"You never told us how any of that happened," Tori nodded, looking curious.

"It's a long story. Do you really want to hear it?" Blake asked slowly.

"It's either that, or watch Dustin play in the dirt," Shane smirked at the Yellow Ranger as he continued to draw in the dirt with his stick, before blushing and throwing the stick away.

"Sensei Omino was the one who taught our parents the way of the Thunder Ninja," Blake started, looking sad. "After they passed away, he brought us to the Thunder Academy. Helped us get through everything. We felt like we belonged again. We both did really well in our training. Sensei Omino was grooming us for something, but we didn't know what," he explained with a small smile as he thought about it.

"So that's when Lothor showed up," Dustin realised. Blake nodded as his frown returned.

"Yeah. Our school was attacked. Kelzacks and aliens were everywhere. Sensei gave us our morphers," Blake continued on his expression darkening. "He told us we'd know what to do. Only at that moment he got captured by Lothor," he told them darkly.

"When you go in one of those ball things, what's it feel like" Dustin interrupted curiously, earning several stares. "Is it like going off a freestyle ramp?"

"Not really the point dude," Shane interrupted as Blake looked away, his arms folded.

"Oh yeah, no, sorry, continue," Dustin looked up at the Navy Ranger apologetically.

"Once we got on Lothor's ship, he was really tweaked that the Ranger powers were passed onto us. That's when he told us the lie about our parents," Blake finished.

"That's when you went medieval on us," Shane commented, and Blake nodded.

"Let's not go there again," Tori looked up at him with a frown.

"Yeah, I still get nightmares about that cavern," Ari shivered as she thought about the dark cave that housed the Gem of Souls.

"You gotta understand," Blake pleaded with them. "Hunter is a good person. But if he believes someone has wronged him, he won't stop until he makes it right," he explained.

"Ok, we get that," Dustin nodded. "But why is he taking it out on us?" he asked.

"Choobo used some kind of mind erase to make us think you were our enemies," Blake explained softly.

"Then how come you snapped out of it?" Shane asked, frowning at the Ranger suspiciously.

"I guess I just had more help remembering who my friends are," Blake shrugged, and Tori smiled up at him. Blake managed a smile back, and Tori got to her feet.

"Then that's what Hunter needs," she decided as she stood beside him. "Come on, we better go find him," Tori looked to the other three. Shane and Ari nodded, and Ari jumped to her feet, over to them while Dustin groaned.

"Do we have to?" he whined, and Shane grabbed him, dragging him away.

1-2-3-4-5

As they walked back down to the beach to find Hunter, the five Rangers found themselves beginning to choke on the gas that was rising from the island, now even more powerful than before.

"This island reeks!" Dustin groaned in disgust as Tori slipped a little. They squinted through the fog that had risen around them, before hearing a yell.

"You guys, check it out!" Blake yelled, pointing to where Hunter was rolling down the sand dune. "Come on!" they ran down as Hunter got to his feet. Before they could reach him, an explosion knocked them off their feet. SuperToxipod reappeared with a laugh, walking towards them.

"You guys better bail!" he warned. "Cause I'm one bad snail!" he declared.

"If you're a snail, how come you look more like a crab?" Dustin taunted, laughing as the Snail growled.

"Crab, snail, whatever!" he dismissed it, and blasted at them. They flipped backwards, landing lightly.

"Time to plug this slug!" Dustin called as they stood together.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"NINJA STORM!"

"CELESTIAL STORM!"

"THUNDER STORM!"

"RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Power of Earth!"

"Water!"

"Air!"

"Power of the Sun!"

"Power of Thunder!"

They morphed and drew their weapons, ready to fight.

"I can take you all on!" SuperToxipod roared.

"Dream on, Snail Trail!" Blake mocked. "Ninja shadow battle!" they each attacked the snail monster, overpowering him. "Where's Hunter?" Blake caught him with his Navy Antlers. The monster cried out in pain as he struggled to break free.

"What do you care?" he grunted as Blake swung him around. "You'll never get off this island!" he told the Navy Ranger, who tossed him aside.

"Put them together! Storm Striker!" the three Wind Ninjas combined their weapons and aimed it at SuperToxipod.

"Solar Blades!" Ari called on her swords and combined them. She started spinning them, and they began to glow golden.

"Fire!"

"Solar Strike!" the two attacks shot at the monster, combining before slamming into him.

"That's not in the script!" he collapsed and exploded. Lowering their visors, the four ran over to Blake.

"Everyone ok?" Shane asked as he looked to each of them. They nodded, and Blake looked around.

"Where's Hunter?" he wondered.

"There you are! Traitor!" they looked around, visors falling as they heard Hunter's roar. The Crimson Ranger ignored the others as they tried to stop him, and he attacked Blake, who cried out. He ignored Blake's words, continuing to attack his brother.

"We have to help," Ari looked to the others, and they ran to help him, only for Choobo to step in the way.

"Not so fast! I want to play!" he told them as they slowed to a stop. He let out a cheer, and laughed before running at them. He knocked him aside easily, throwing Dustin into Ari and knocked them both down.

"This isn't good," Shane groaned as he was knocked down.

"When is it ever?" Ari pushed Dustin off her and grabbed her Solar Blades, running at Choobo. She ducked under his swing and sliced up his chest.

"That tickles!" Choobo mocked, and his huge fist slammed into her chest. She flew back, rolling along the ground as Shane and Tori ran at him again.

"I remember!" they all looked around as Hunter demorphed and collapsed.

"Well it's about time," Ari grinned under her helmet as she got to her feet again.

"Oh no you don't!"

"Oh yes he does!" Shane called, and all four leapt through the air, swinging their swords. Shane then called on the full strength of his sword and slashed Choobo over and over again, forcing him to back off.

"I'll be back Rangers!" Choobo warned, turning and running off before they could stop him. He disappeared, and they demorphed, looking around.

"Guess Choobo didn't feel like sticking around for an encore," Tori grinned.

"Yeah, and that crab is toast," Shane nodded.

"Man, why have I got this sudden craving for seafood?" Dustin wondered, earning several disgusted looks.

"That is seriously wrong," Ari shuddered. "I still think he looked more like a snail," she added.

"Look," Tori's smile dropped suddenly. "There's Blake and Hunter!" they ran towards where Blake was shaking his brother fiercely, trying to wake him.

"Come on bro, stay with me!" Blake pleaded, until Hunter grabbed his wrist.

"Dude..." Hunter groaned. "I kinda need to breathe at some point," he gasped, and Blake let out a laugh of relief, releasing his brother.

"He's back to being Hunter," Tori commented as he looked up at them curiously.

"Good Hunter, or bad Hunter?" Dustin grinned.

"Do you know who we are?" Shane asked.

"Yeah, my friends," Hunter nodded up at them, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

1-2-3-4-5

As they all stood on the beach, the Rangers wondered just how they were going to get off the beach, when suddenly Shane's morpher beeped. They all gathered around quickly, curious.

"Is that you Cam?" Shane asked hopefully.

"_No, it's the phone company. We're calling to find out if you're happy with your long distance service_," Cam replied sarcastically, making them laugh.

"Is he always this uh...funny?" Hunter asked with a grin.

"Cam's hysterical!" Ari nodded seriously.

"And yes, Ari is always this weird," Dustin added as the Crimson Ranger looked down at the Gold Ranger, who grinned at Dustin's words.

"We're great Cam, thanks for asking," Shane spoke into his morpher as he rolled his eyes.

"_Are the Thunder Rangers with you_?" Sensei asked curiously.

"Right here Sensei," Shane nodded as the others looked at Hunter and Blake.

"_Excellent. I must speak to them upon your return_," Sensei told them.

"_Which brings up our next problem_," Cam spoke up next. "_You're on an island that's sinking fast. You've got to find a way off_," he told them.

"Glad we already knew that. Would have been a massive bummer if that was just sprung on us after all this," Ari commented with a grin.

"How about the gliders?" Dustin suggested as he messed up her hair. Ari giggled, swatting them away.

"_The atmospheric pressure is too unstable right now, it wouldn't be safe_," Cam responded.

"What about the Zords?" Blake wondered aloud.

"_Good idea Blake_," Sensei voiced his approval of the idea.

"_They're on their way_!" Cam called. "_I just have to check their structural integrity to make certain they can stand the water pressure_," he told them.

"We're ready," Shane told him, and ended the communication. "Let's do it," he said, but as they fell into formation, Hunter spoke up.

"Wait!" they all looked around at him, and he looked uncomfortable. "I just wanted to say that it means a lot. The way you stood up for me," Hunter told them.

"That's what friends do!" Ari grinned at him.

"So before this turns into a group hug, better go," Shane clapped Dustin and Blake on the shoulders and walked off.

"Bet you wouldn't mind that," Ari whispered to Tori, and glanced to Blake before winking at Tori. The Water Ninja went red and slapped her over the head, making Ari yelp before laughing, running to walk on Dustin's other side.

"Ah! Go big or go home!" they all looked up as the giant snail reappeared.

"You guys ready for this?" Shane looked to Dustin, Tori and Ari, who was rubbing her head. Ari dropped her hands and grinned.

"Ready," they nodded, and Shane looked to Hunter and Blake.

"Ready," Hunter nodded as well, and Shane grinned.

"NINJA STORM!"

"CELESTIAL STORM!"

"THUNDER STORM!"

"RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Ninja Ranger Power!"

"Hey Cam, how about those Zords?" Shane called as they looked up at Toxipod.

"_On their way_," Cam responded quickly, sending them their Zords. They leapt up into the Zords as they arrived on the steadily sinking island, and as Ari's Swan Zord went into its fighter mode, the others formed their Megazords.

"Hey Rangers!" Toxipod laughed. "You're gonna be sorry you ever crossed my snail trail!" he called to them, holding a weapon that had shells as blades. He breathed fire at them, hitting all three.

"Dude, it's hot! Like, Africa hot!" Dustin cried as their Zords heated up.

"Have you actually been to Africa Dustin?" Ari asked as she fanned herself frantically.

"Where's the A.C on this thing?" Tori looked around hopefully.

"Whoa! Yo, you guys ok?" Shane looked to the other Megazord.

"Yeah, don't worry about it!" Hunter called back.

"We can take the heat!" Blake nodded in agreement.

"Then let's go for a little spin!" Shane called, and they all began to spin, putting out the flames.

"What?!" Toxipod cried out in horror, before the Thunder Rangers called on their Spin Blade, and the Wind Megazord went into lightning mode.

"Hey Cam, how's about something pretty for me?" Ari grinned.

"_Aren't you just glad you have a Zord?_" Cam chuckled. "_But if that's not enough, here you go_," a power disk appeared and Ari cheered.

"Cam, you really are the best!" she told him.

"_Stating the obvious doesn't get you any more toys to play with_," Cam replied, but it was clear he was grinning. Ari inserted the disk, and the sphere that shot out revealed a pair of swords. Ari cheered again, and rushed at Toxipod, slashing across his chest as she passed, making him cry out. The Wind Megazord finished off the battle, and the snail collapsed, falling. The Rangers cheered, and moved through the sea as the island sank back into the sea.

1-2-3-4-5

"Hey Kel..." while clearing up what appeared to have been a massive sale, Kelly looked around at Dustin and Ari. Hunter and Blake stood behind them, looking just as guilty as the Yellow and Gold Rangers.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," the red-haired woman frowned as she packed up a box and pushed it out of the way.

"Kelly, we are so sorry," Ari told her earnestly.

"Kel, we can explain. We were stuck in the middle of nowhere-"

"It wasn't their fault," Hunter spoke up from behind Dustin. "They were helping us out," Kelly just rolled her eyes.

"That doesn't surprise me," she hauled a bunch of clothes into her arms. "You couldn't have called? Sent an email?" she demanded as both looked really guilty.

"You gotta trust me, if there was any way, we'd have been here!" Dustin insisted.

"We're really, really sorry," Ari told Kelly, tears in her wide green eyes. Kelly looked at her, and hesitated.

"They're telling the truth. As for my brother and me, we know we let you down a bunch of times," Blake spoke up, and Hunter nodded quickly. "We're through with that. We want to start over," Kelly kept working, but was looking thoughtful.

"We'll make it up to you, we promise," Hunter added, and Kelly dumped the boxes in her hands.

"Well, I'm still kind of shorthanded. I could do with a couple of stock boys," the two frowned as Ari and Dustin started to giggle. "You know, someone to open boxes, clean the floors, that kinda stuff," Kelly listed, and as Hunter protested, Blake accepted, ignoring his brother. "Well, you can start by helping me clean up this mess," she told them.

"We've just got one thing that we have to take care of," Dustin told her quickly, and Kelly frowned again. "We'll be back in like, half an hour. I promise," Dustin insisted, and Kelly sighed as they rushed back out of Storm Chargers.

1-2-3-4-5

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Shane exclaimed as Hunter and Blake told them what they were planning. "Let me get this straight. After all we went through, you guys just want to walk away from being Rangers?" he demanded.

"We have to," Hunter told him as they stared at the two.

"Lothor isn't gonna let us rest until he destroys us," Blake pointed out.

"Join the club dude," Dustin gestured to the rest of them.

"We can't risk anything happening to you because of us. You're the only thing standing between Lothor and millions of innocent people," Hunter shook his head.

"You know Lothor's going to come after us regardless of if you're there or not, right?" Ari asked softly. They kept quiet, not answering her. "So wouldn't it be better to combine our energies to stop him?" she asked, tilting her head as she watched them.

"You're some kind of demon," Blake commented as he recoiled from her, and Ari blinked. "Those eyes!"

"Yeah, I feel like I just kicked a puppy or something," Hunter agreed.

"What did I do?" Ari asked, looking around.

"The same thing you did to Kel earlier to stop her from chewing us out," Dustin laughed as Ari tilted her head again.

"And the same thing you did to Cam when you dropped his laptop," Tori smirked. Cam just shrugged from his seat, not looking too worried.

"I wasn't aware that I did anything..." Ari mumbled as she looked down.

"See! You're doing it right now!" Dustin laughed as he pointed at her, and Hunter and Blake grinned.

"Guys. Focus?" Shane frowned at them.

"Sorry," Tori smiled apologetically, and they looked back to Hunter and Blake, and their grins faded. "You've been given a gift, isn't it your responsibility to use it?" she asked curiously.

"Tori is correct, as is Ari," Ari smirked at the pair, who shook their heads in disbelief. "Hunter, Blake, Sensei Omino knew the Thunder Ranger powers were meant for you. But I cannot force you to live up to your responsibility," Sensei told them, and they looked down at the guinea pig.

"So what do you say?" Shane draped an arm over Tori and Dustin's shoulders, grinning at the pair. "You guys in? Or not?" he asked, and the two looked to each other, and back to them.

"We need time to think," Blake answered, and they sighed before nodding.

**I would have had this chapter up earlier this evening, but a friend of mine keeps sending me links to Gaki no Tsukai videos...seriously, just watch them, they're hysterical.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! I shall try and update again before Friday!**


	11. Return of Thunder Part 4

Chapter 11: Return of Thunder Part 4

"Tor, you sure we should be here?" Ari looked as uncomfortable as she felt as she followed Tori around a clothes shop, carrying a pile of clothes that Tori had thrown at her. "I mean, I have to be in work soon, and I think Kelly will actually kill me if I'm late," she reminded the surfer, whose only response was to throw a pair of shorts at her. "I didn't think you were one for shopping..." Ari muttered.

"Relax Ari, we're here for a reason," Tori smiled, finally turning to her. "Most of these clothes are for you anyway," she grinned.

"Wait what?" Ari frowned, and Tori turned and rushed off. "Tori, why are these for me?" she demanded.

"Ari, I get that you just wear that stuff to be comfortable, but there are clothes that'll make you comfy that don't make you look like a guy," the Blue Ranger told her, and Ari rolled her eyes. "Half the reason that Shane doesn't take you seriously is because you look about 10," Ari stopped as Tori turned and told her this. "You're really cute Ari, and that's how you've managed to get away with everything since you got here."

"I...have?" Ari frowned, staring at her her as she went red.

"Yes!" Tori laughed. "Like only yesterday when you made Blake and Hunter feel bad for not wanting to join us," she dumped another pair of shorts into her arms, and shoved her into the fitting area. "Now try this stuff on, and let me see," she ordered.

"Let me guess, keep this a secret from the guys?" Ari peeked out with a grin.

"Of course. I have a reputation to keep up," Tori winked, and Ari laughed before disappearing behind the curtain.

1-2-3-4-5

"Kelly, I am so sorry I'm late!" Ari rushed into Storm Chargers, and nearly knocked the boxes out of Hunter and Blake's arms as they spoke with Dustin. "Sorry!" she apologised quickly, trying to run off into the back.

"Hey, hold up," Dustin caught her and pulled her back as she struggled. "What's up with this?" he gestured as they took a look at Ari's new appearance. Her baggy cargo shorts had been replaced by a pair of jeans that stopped just above the knee, and she wore a green and gold cami instead of a plain black tshirt. The only things that remained the same were her beaten blue converse, and the gold necklace that was tucked into her top.

"You just gestured to all of me," Ari frowned, but was aware of what he was talking about.

"No man, the clothes!" Dustin exclaimed. When he saw Ari's expression, he grinned. "You look cool," he clapped her on the shoulder and passed her to talk to Kelly, and Ari breathed out in relief.

"You still need to show us your skills on the skateboard," Blake commented as he shifted the boxes in his arms.

"You'll get to see them if you stick around," Ari grinned, and they sighed.

"We walked into that one," Blake shook his head, and they kept walking.

"Dude, I feel like disappointing Ari would be like choking the Little Mermaid with a bike chain or something," Ari caught Hunter's comment to his brother, who just laughed. Ari giggled, and went to talk to Kelly.

1-2-3-4-5

After her shift finished, Ari went back to Ninja Ops, and found Shane and Tori already there.

"Hey guys," she skated inside, and found Shane on his own board, practising his moves.

"I'm confused," Cam spoke as Tori waved to the Gold Ranger. "Does it now say 'Skate Park' outside the secret entrance?" he asked.

"That would defeat the purpose of it being a secret entrance," Ari pointed out, and Cam turned around, frowning at her. "Sorry," she giggled as she stepped off her skateboard and walked over. Cam studied her new appearance for a moment, before turning back to the computer. "So what's happening?" she asked, leaning on the chair as Shane walked over.

"Checking out the Thunder Zords," Cam told her. "Someone knew what they were doing when they build them. The technology is amazing," he commented as the computer scanned the entire thing.

"Yeah, now all we need is for someone to drive them," Tori muttered.

"Blake and Hunter will follow their destiny, whatever that may be," Sensei told them as he walked over.

"That's weird," Cam frowned as the computer started to beep.

"What? Finally find something that you can't figure out?" Shane smirked, and Cam glared at him over his shoulder.

"No. I've scanned the Thunder Zords for damage, and I keep coming up with this non-functional retrofit," Ari leaned forwards, curiously.

"It's a piece that doesn't have a purpose," she spoke as both Shane and Tori looked blank.

"But it is integral to the overall design," Cam finished as he nodded. "I'd just love to know what the deal is with it," he mumbled irritably.

"Wouldn't that count as something you _can't _figure out?" Shane smirked, and Cam shot him another glare as Tori and Ari couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey guys!" Dustin ran in, looking worried.

"Hey, I thought you were going riding with Hunter and Blake," Ari looked around with a smile, but it dropped when she saw his expression. "What's wrong?" she asked as they all looked around.

1-2-3-4-5

"Blake and Hunter aren't the most reliable guys, but leaving their bikes? No way," Shane looked doubtful as Dustin finished telling them about how he had discovered Hunter and Blake's bikes on the beach.

"I don't know about you, but I smell a rodent," Tori told them as they stood together. Her eyes widened, and she looked down at their guinea pig Sensei. "No offence, Sensei," she told him quickly.

"None taken, Tori," Sensei shook his head. "I too suspect foul play," he agreed.

"Maybe it's something to do with this?" Ari asked, and they walked over to the computer as Cam zoomed in on Choobo while Ari leaned over his shoulder.

"I'm assuming he's not there for the scenery," Cam commented as Choobo sat, seeming to be focused deeply.

"I dunno dude, that place is kinda cool, especially this time of year," Dustin told them with a smile, and they all looked at him, and his smile dropped. "Right..." he bit his lip, and the four lined up.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"NINJA STORM!"

"CELESTIAL FORM!"

"RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Power of Earth!"

"Air!"

"Water!"

"Power of the Sun!"

The four Rangers took off from the mobile command centre on their Tsunami Cycles, heading to where Choobo had been sighted.

"Ok, let's ride!" Shane called as they passed the Mobile Ninja Ops and shot up the mountain.

"Right on time," Choobo chuckled, not moving as they reached him.

"Where are our friends?" Shane demanded as they climbed off their bikes and faced the green alien.

"Why don't you join them?" Choobo offered. "There's room for four more inside!" he told them.

"We'll pass. But thanks," Shane dismissed the offer with a roll of his eyes.

"Boohoo!" Choobo stood up and looked away. "I'm hurt, but not surprised! How about some new playmates instead?" he suggested. "Kelzacks!" he called on a hoard of the black and red footsoldiers, who appeared in front of them. The Rangers drew their Ninja Swords, ready to fight back. "Attack!" Choobo ordered, and the Kelzacks ran at the four.

"Try this on for size!" With swift movements, Ari dodged the Kelzacks as they attacked her with their red blades. She cut through them with her sword, kicking those she couldn't hit with her weapon. They were quickly gaining the upper hand, until Choobo spoke up again.

"The more the merrier, I always say!" he called on more Kelzacks, who swarmed the Rangers. For every one they took down, another two took its place. Ari was quickly slammed into a tree as several pinned Shane to the ground, and others grabbed Dustin's arms and legs.

"I'll take care of this!" Tori called on her sonic fin and leapt into a tree. "Hey, Kelzacks! Wave bye-bye now!" the sonic blast took out the Kelzacks, allowing the three Rangers on the ground to get back up.

"Great job Tor!" Dustin called up to her.

"Storm Striker!" the three wind ninjas called on their combined weapon.

"How does this strike you?" Choobo slammed his staff into the ground, and it appeared above them, knocking them to the ground.

"You guys ok?" Ari called from where she stood.

"Yeah," Tori nodded as they sat up.

"_Guys, I've locked onto Choobo's genetic encoding, and found the routing system for the dimension in his pack_," Cam spoke up quickly through their morphers. "_It's the key to releasing the Thunder Rangers_," he told them.

"You guys get that?" Shane looked to Dustin and Tori as they got up.

"Yeah right!" Dustin laughed, and Ari sighed, holding out her hands.

"Solar blades!" she called on her twin swords, and grabbed them as they appeared. She shot at Choobo, slashing up before he could react. Her blades cut through the tubing, making Choobo cry out as blue sparks flew from the now destroyed pack. The pack fell to the ground and opened, and through the smoke, crimson and navy blurs shot out and landed just outside of the forest.

"Nice one Ari!" Dustin cheered as Choobo cried out even more.

"Come on!" Shane called, and they ran down to where Hunter and Blake now stood, looking a little confused.

"You guys ok?" Tori asked as they caught up to the pair.

"We're fine," Hunter nodded, before Choobo appeared in front of them, earning their attention.

"You Rangers and your teamwork really cheese me off!" he yelled, fed up with them constantly beating him and disrupting his plans.

"You guys ready?" Shane looked to the others.

"Oh yeah!" Blake nodded.

"Oh, how shocking!" Choobo mocked, before blasting them with orange electricity, but they all disappeared. "I hate it when they do that!" he complained, and Dustin attacked him from behind. Tori and Hunter caught him next, and then Blake caught him with his Navy Antlers, blasting him. Ari then cut up his back, and Shane attacked him from the air.

"Let's do it!" Hunter called as they regrouped, standing in front of the weakened alien.

"Storm Striker!"

"Thunder Blaster!"

"Wait!" Choobo cried as they combined their weapons and aimed them at him.

"What now?" Shane groaned.

"I want to have a puppet show!" Choobo declared as they frowned at him. "I'll be the puppeteer, and you'll be my puppets!" he shouted, and held out a hand. Strings shot out and wrapped around Ari, who looked down.

"What the hell?" she demanded, struggling but finding herself unable to move.

"This way!" Ari cried out as she was yanked forwards. She was forced to stand in front of Choobo, her combined blades up. "I'm holding the strings here, now do what I do!" he called, and Ari struggled, but was unable to stop him from controlling her hands, forcing her to start spinning her weapon.

"Choobo's going down!" Hunter pointed his and Blake's combined weapon at him.

"Hunter, be careful," Blake warned as he looked back at his brother, while their weapon rested on his shoulder. "If you hit Ari, it could strip her of her power," he reminded Hunter.

"Do it! Before I lose control!" Ari yelled as her weapons began to glow golden.

"It's too risky," Shane was frowning, but lowered the Storm Striker as Tori and Dustin looked at him.

"But we don't have any choice here..." Hunter muttered, but shook his head and threw down the Thunder Blaster, which separated into two weapons.

"I knew you didn't have it in you," Choobo laughed. "Five powerless Rangers, coming up!" he called, and increased his hold on Ari. The golden light began to increase, and Ari cried out.

"Just attack already! Remember what I did to your staff!" the Gold Ranger yelled, and the spinning golden light shot from her blades. As everyone dove out of the way of the attack, Hunter rolled forwards, grabbing his blaster.

"No!" Tori noticed his actions, but he raised it and shot an attack at Ari regardless. The blast flew towards Ari, whose eyes clamped shut. She disappeared moments before it hit, causing it to slam into Choobo instead. As he cried out and fell backwards. Ari reappeared in front of the other Rangers, falling backwards.

"Ari!" they helped her up, and she grinned.

"That weird power is definitely helpful," she commented. "Thanks Hunter," Ari looked to the Crimson Ranger, who just shrugged.

"You gotta tell us how you do it," Blake frowned at her, and Ari shrugged.

"I would if I could," she told him, before they all looked over to Choobo again, raising their weapons.

"Hello! I'm still working here!" he called as he got back to his feet.

"Let's try this again!" Shane called, and they all aimed their weapons at him.

"Solar Strike!"

"Fire!"

"Fire!" the three attacks combined and slammed into Choobo. As the smoke cleared, they found that Choobo was still standing, laughing and coughing.

"Oh man!"

"How is he still up?" Ari stared at Choobo as he staggered.

"Don't count me out yet! I still have one trick up my sleeve!" he called to them. "This Scroll of Empowerment! Now you're really gonna get it!" he laughed, and threw it into the air. It opened, and Choobo began to grow.

"Cam, it's Zord time!" Shane called to them.

"_They're on their way_," Cam responded, sending the six Zords to them. The two Megazords formed, and Ari's Zord stood beside them.

"Things are about to get a bit sticky for you, Rangers!" Choobo declared and ran at them with a laugh. He blocked the Thunder Megazord's attack with his staff, and even when they called on their weapons he overpowered them.

"Try me!" Ari's Swan Zord ran at him, swinging the swords that she called from a Power Sphere. Choobo blocked them with his staff, and blasted all three with fire that knocked them to the ground.

"_Guys! That part I was telling you about?_" Cam contacted them, sounding rushed. "_I figured out what it does! Check this out_!" Power Disks appeared in front of Shane, Hunter and Ari.

"Thanks Cam, but how about filling us in on the big secret?" Shane asked as they lifted the disks.

"_The only way to beat Choobo, is to combine your Megazords,_" Cam explained.

"What? How?" Ari asked curiously, wondering how the disk could do that.

"_Call the Mini Zord! He was part of the program all along_!" Cam grinned as they stared in disbelief.

"The Mini Zord?" Hunter frowned.

"You mean that bit that didn't have a purpose is actually a little Zord?" Ari raised an eyebrow, and Cam nodded.

"_Just trust me_," the genius grinned.

"_It will be good to see the powers of wind, thunder and sun working together_," Sensei spoke up.

"You guys up for this?" Shane called.

"Let's do it!" Hunter nodded.

"Sounds like fun!" Ari grinned. They got back up and called on the three power spheres, which slammed together before opening. The parts that emerged from each combined, creating a small blue and golden Zord.

"_I am Mini Zord_!" it announced as it flew above them. "_Storm Megazord, Thunder Megazord, Sun Zord, combine_!" the Zord called as it gestured to each Zord. "_Thunderstorm Megazord formation_!" the three different Zords began to change shape, and combined. Mini Zord split apart and combined with the Megazord, and the two guns moved forward over the shoulders.

"How do you like us now?" Shane called to the now very alarmed Choobo.

"The bigger you are, the harder you'll fall!" he declared, slamming his staff into them. Just before it hit, the wings that had belonged to Ari's Swan Zord curved around the Megazord, and Choobo's staff shattered on impact. "You broke my stick!" he cried in horror as the wings lifted.

"Don't cry!" Tori laughed.

"Your mummy will buy you a new one!" Dustin mocked as Choobo tossed the staff aside.

"Ready guys?" Shane called.

"Ready!" Hunter and Ari nodded. The Thunderstorm Megazord started to move forwards towards the alien, who braced himself.

"Oh, so that's the way it's gonna be!" Choobo called, ready to fight. He blasted at them with more electricity, but it bounced harmlessly off again before they punched him. Choobo cried out, crashing to the ground.

"This thing rocks!" Blake cheered in amazement.

"No doubt," Hunter agreed.

"That was a lucky shot," Choobo growled as he got back to his feet.

"Ok...now what?" Shane wondered curiously.

"_Use the Lion Blaster_!" Mini Zord spoke to them. "_It will be your best defence_!" he declared.

"Well if the little Zord says it is, then that's what it is!" Ari laughed. Choobo let out a yell, and ran at them.

"Lion Blaster! Activate!" the lion head on their chest spun and blasted Choobo, making him cry out and hit the ground again.

"You always have to win, don't you?" he whined, staggering to his feet. "You can't just let me have one little..." Choobo cried out, and fell to the ground, exploding.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ari, what did I say about this place being a skate park?" Cam spoke irritably as Ari flipped her board and landed as she skated past Tori.

"Uh, that it was?" Ari grinned back, and Cam turned his head to survey her with an amused look. "Alright, alright," Ari laughed and stepped off her board, kicking it into her hands. "Man, that new Megazord is _awesome_," the Gold Ranger commented as she sat down beside Tori.

"Let's hope Blake and Hunter stick around long enough for us to get to use it again," Shane muttered from beside Cam.

"I'm still curious about that power you have," Ari glanced to the Blue Ranger beside her. "You can pretty much teleport out of the way of danger, and get rid of what's threatening you," Tori commented, looking thoughtful.

"I guess some kind of survival instinct triggers it," Ari replied, wondering about it as well.

"So you didn't know if it would actually work when you told Hunter to shoot at you?" Tori looked at her quickly, and Ari gave a guilty smile. She cried out when Tori slapped the back of her head, and she stumbled to her feet, moving away from her quickly.

"Hey, it was either that or let Choobo use my Solar Strike," Ari mumbled as she kept away from the now frowning Blue Ranger.

"Told you she was too reckless," Shane muttered.

"Shane, shut up," Tori snapped at him, taking the Red Ranger by surprise. As he recovered and went to reply, they heard Dustin bounding towards Ninja Ops.

"I can't believe you said no!" he was exclaiming as he appeared, followed by Blake and Hunter.

"No to what?" Ari asked as she chose to ignore Shane's words.

"Factory Blue!" Dustin told them, and they all gathered around curiously.

"You said no?" Tori asked as she looked at Blake with wide eyes.

"We had something more important to do," the Navy Ranger told them, and when they all looked confused, he looked to Hunter, and the pair grinned.

"We're in," Hunter told them, and the group let out happy yells and embraced the brothers.

"You have made a difficult decision," Sensei spoke up from the table. "I believe it is the correct one," he nodded.

"Yeah, no lie," Dustin grinned as he looked at the pair. "This is sweet!" he laughed.

"You're one of us now," Shane grinned.

"Not sure if that's such a good thing," Ari teased, and Dustin messed up her hair before wrapping an arm around her shoulders again, pulling her back into the group hug.

**I figured I wouldn't have any time to write, since I have so much to pack. Then I ended up writing as a procrastination instead of packing. Yay! I'm actually almost finished writing this story, I can't believe how fast I've actually written it...**

**Hope you liked it anyways! Let me know what you think!**


	12. Boxing Bopp-A-Roo

Chapter 12: Boxing Bopp-A-Roo

Ari was woken by a knock on her door, which made her groan and roll over, pulling her blanket up over her head.

"Ari, I know you're awake," Cam's voice called in.

"No I'm not," Ari groaned back, and she pulled the blanket in tighter around her.

"Your mother is on the phone," Ari groaned again, but rolled out of bed. She ran a hand through her black hair, which stuck on end, and walked over to the door of the small bedroom that was hers until Lothor had been defeated and they had rescued the other Ninjas. She opened the door and looked up at Cam, who held out the phone.

"Thanks..." she mumbled, taking the phone from the genius who looked just as sleepy as she felt. Of course, Cam got a lot less sleep than she did. "Hello?" Ari put the phone to her ear and Cam walked off to get some more sleep.

"_Ari! I know it's early but I wanted to call before I went to work_," her mother spoke with a smile, and Ari sat down on her bed. "_How is the trip going? We miss you so much_," her mother spoke in a rushed voice.

"It's...going well. Everyone's been really nice," well, almost everyone. Ari chose not to mention Shane. "I miss you guys too," Ari pulled her legs in close as she spoke softly.

"_I'm glad to hear that sweetie. What? No Malcom-_" there was a rustling on the other side of the phone, and Ari frowned.

"_Hey birdie, how's Blue Bay Harbour treating you_?" Ari rolled her eyes as she heard her brother's voice on the other end, ignoring their mother's scolding. "_Any cute boys? Oh, sorry, I forgot that you prefer skateboards and martial arts to boys_," Mal laughed.

"You know, you're my older brother, isn't that a good thing?" Ari frowned as she lay down, her head thumping down on her pillow as Mal laughed.

"_Very true_," he agreed, before there was more shuffling on the other end. "_Hey, get lost Jessie-_"

"_Ariel! My baby sister_!" another voice trilled down the phone.

"I'm your only sister Jessie," Ari frowned. She'd long since given up getting her sister to call her Ari.

"_You're the youngest, so you're the baby_," Jessie told her firmly, and Ari sighed. "_Mum said you were still asleep, and so was the guy who answered the phone. Ok, two things. How come you don't have to get up early for school, and is that guy cute_?" she demanded.

"First, my lessons are in the late morning. And I'm not going to dignify the second question with a response," Ari told her older sister, who just giggled back.

"_Speaking of cute boys, your favourite Australian says that he's planning on going down to Blue Bay Harbour during the school break_," Ari sat up again, so quickly her hair fell into her face.

"Jessie, I've told you, stay away from Xander," she warned, making Jessie burst out laughing.

"_Careful Ariel, you sound almost possessive_," Ari rolled her eyes, but she was worried about Xander visiting. She'd been back to Briarwood once since she had become a Ranger, but she hadn't thought about her family or friends visiting. With Lothor likely to attack at any point, it was far too dangerous. "_And while you might have mum and dad convinced that you're not supposed to have visitors while you're on this fancy pants martial arts trip, he's not about to listen. And neither are me, Mal or Joe. So we'll see you when we come to visit_," Ari just groaned and out a hand over her eyes.

"I'm going to go back to sleep for a bit, so I will talk to you later. And say hi to dad and Joe," Ari told Jessie, who called goodbye loudly, as did her twin brother and their mother. Ari sighed and set the phone down beside the bed, before rolling over. She really hoped they would defeat Lothor before her family decided to visit.

1-2-3-4-5

Ari shoved a strawberry into her mouth and savoured the taste as Kelly and Dustin hung up a poster. Not knowing what it was all about, she walked over, and looked up at it curiously.

"The banner looks great," Tori was saying as Ari looked up at it. "If you had surfing, I'd be all over this trek," she told Dustin.

"Oh yeah, that'd be fair, you blowing everybody outta the water," Dustin grinned as he spoke sarcastically, and Tori smiled innocently.

"Total Trek?" Ari asked, biting into another strawberry as she looked at the others.

"It's a competition we're running," Kelly explained as she stood by a board that explained the course. "We start at the skate park, it's a run to the motocross track, and then an urban climb to finish," she showed the three the track as they all walked over to her. "You entering, Dustin?" Kelly looked at the Yellow Ranger, who scoffed.

"I'm never getting on a skateboard again," he raised his hands in refusal. "I've got bruises from last year," Dustin gestured to a bruise on his arm as they laughed.

"You got that falling down the stairs last week," Ari argued, and Dustin went red as Kelly and Tori laughed even more.

"Alright then smarty pants, what about you?" he challenged Ari, who looked thoughtful.

"Hey Kelly, you got an entry form for my kick-flip challenged friend here?" before she could respond Shane and Hunter walked in, with Shane smirking at Hunter.

"Individual?" Kelly looked to the blond as she held the forms in her hand. "Or are you doing the team competition?" she asked, looking at Shane, and both scoffed loudly.

"Us? Together?" Hunter started laughing.

"You got a better chance of seeing me on blade skates," Shane told the red-haired woman with a smirk.

"Just asking," Kelly rolled her eyes, and held out the form to the Crimson Ranger. "Well, you're the second one to sign up, Hunter," she told him.

"Who was first?" Hunter asked curiously, and Kelly glanced to Shane with a grin. The Red Ranger brushed imaginary dust from Hunter's shoulder as he looked at him.

"You're toast, dirt boy," Shane mocked, walking away as the other three Rangers started laughing.

"Wait! Do you hear that?" Hunter walked over to him as he stopped. "It sounds like...your hopes and dreams coming crashing down around you," he smirked and walked away. Shane scowled, and followed as the others kept laughing.

"And here we see the alpha males in their natural habitat," Tori grinned, and looked around as Ari took a form from Kelly. "Oh no, you're not entering as well, are you?" she frowned at Ari, who smiled back.

"Let's face it, neither of those two would be able to compete with me. Hunter's great on the bike and all, but the skateboarding will destroy him, and Shane might be in my league on the board, but not on the bike," she told them confidently.

"It scares me that you can say that and still look so innocent," Dustin shook his head in disbelief. Ari just giggled and stuck another strawberry in her mouth, and went into the back to fill in the form.

"She may not be an alpha male, but Ari's just as competitive as those two idiots," Tori shook her head, and Dustin nodded in agreement.

1-2-3-4-5

Hunter clipped on his helmet and braced himself on his skateboard, before pushing down the tiny ramp. As soon as it met level ground, Hunter tumbled off it, and both Ari and Blake tried not to laugh.

"So, what do you call that?" Blake asked as he helped his groaning brother up off the ground.

"I'm just getting loose," Hunter grumbled.

"Yeah? So is your board, bro," Blake taunted, and Ari giggled as she walked over.

"I gotta beat this guy. I don't care what I have to do," Hunter told them in frustration.

"My advice to you? Get a stunt double," Blake taunted, and Hunter rolled his eyes. He skated off again, and fell straight off.

"You need to keep your knees bent, and lean forwards," Ari told him as she clasped her hands behind her back. "You're too rigid, even if you say you're getting loose," she teased Hunter as he got back to his feet and grabbed the board.

"Any other pointers?" he asked, sounding a little irritated, but Ari just smiled.

"And give my competition the upper hand in the one sport I can dominate in? No thank you," she dropped her own board to the ground.

"Hold up, you're entering as well?" Blake asked with a laugh. Ari just winked and skated off, and the brothers watched as she practised much more complicated moves. "Bro, you better take notes, cause there's no way you're going to take her on until you get on your bike," Blake laughed, clapping Hunter on the back as he groaned.

1-2-3-4-5

Dustin checked the stopwatch in his hand as Ari raced around the track, bouncing over hills and spraying mud everywhere, before she passed the finish line.

"How'd I do?" Ari called as Dustin headed down to meet her.

"You're definitely getting better," the Yellow Ranger nodded, and Ari grinned. "But nowhere near Hunter's level. You're crazy going up against him, the only training you've had on a bike is for learning to ride your Tsunami Cycle," he reminded the young girl, who just shrugged.

"Dustin, I'm entering to have fun," she told him, and flipped the visor of her helmet down. "Besides, Shane and Hunter are going to be focused on each other, not me," Ari reminded the worried Ranger, who just shook his head in disbelief. Ari grinned at him, and started moving her bike back to the start line to go again.

1-2-3-4-5

After hearing from Shane and Hunter about a new monster that had attacked them, the others had returned to Ninja Ops to discuss it. However, the Red and Crimson Rangers continued training for the upcoming competition.

"Those guys are still at it?" Dustin stared at the screen with wide eyes.

"Let me get this straight," Tori turned around and frowned as Dustin, Ari and Blake watched the laptop. "There's a kick-boxing robot kangaroo bounding around Blue Bay Harbour, and they're playing follow the leader?" she crouched beside them, watching as they ran down the beach.

"We need help here, something Sensei-like," Dustin looked to Sensei, who was standing in front of them, watching as well.

"They must both learn that the best quality of a leader is to understand when to be a follower," Sensei told them simply.

"Dude's way deep, especially for a rodent," Dustin grinned, and the others smiled.

"By the way Ari, what was with the early phone call this morning?" Cam asked as he turned around from the bookshelf and walked back over to the computer. The other three glanced at Ari as she sighed.

"My mum works the day shift in Briarwood hospital so she wanted to talk before her shift, and Jessie and Mal had school," she explained.

"I didn't know you had a brother and sister!" Tori spoke with surprise. Ari nodded with a wry smile.

"Two brothers and a sister. Mal and Jessie are twins, they're about you guys' age. Joe's 25," she told them, and they watched her curiously. "They've been talking about visiting...that's not going to be fun," Ari grumbled as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Never is," Blake grinned widely, and the others laughed.

"Be careful, Hunter'll kick your butt," Tori warned playfully, and Blake laughed.

"_Cam_!" they all looked around at the computer as Shane spoke. "That kangaroo clown is back for round two, we need help!" he told the genius, who nodded.

"Right!" he spun around in his seat to look at the four Ninjas as they stood up and lined up.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"NINJA STORM!"

"CELESTIAL STORM!"

"THUNDER STORM!"

"RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Power of Water!"

"Power of the Sun!"

"Power of Thunder!"

"Power of Earth!"

They joined the two Rangers already out, and the Kangaroo monster turned around as they ran out to face him.

"I am one maniacally mad marsupial!" he declared.

"What did he say?" Tori asked.

"No idea!" Shane shook his head.

"Ari? Any clue?" Dustin asked the one who usually knew what Cam was talking about.

"I am _so _not your translator," the Gold Ranger rolled her eyes.

"A convenient conflagatory conflagration!" the wheel on his chest lit up, and he shot fire at the group. They slammed into a wall and hit the ground hard. "Bye-bye, rumblfied Rangers!" Bopp-A-Roo laughed as they groaned. "Exceptional positivity in our current commotionness! They are fully in the grasp of my fingerments!" he declared.

"My head hurts...half of what he's saying is just made up words," Ari put her hands on her helmet with a whimper.

"I've had enough of this!" Shane growled, and they pushed themselves to their feet. He, Dustin, and Tori combined their weapons, and Hunter and Blake did the same as Ari combined her swords and began to spin them.

"Storm Striker!"

"Thunder Blaster!"

"Solar Strike!" Bopp-A-Roo cried out, stepping back in fear.

"Fire!"

"Fire!" the three attacks combined as they flew towards the kangaroo monster, only for a shield to appear in front of him. The attack repelled and slammed into the Rangers, who cried out and crashed to the ground in agony.

"What happened?" Shane demanded as he got to his feet.

"Some kind of shield!" Hunter frowned in confusion, breathing heavily.

"I did it!" they heard a familiar voice nearby, and looked around quickly. "It worked! My shield worked!" Marah bounced with excitement as she stood with Kapri and Zurgane. "How cool am I?" she beamed happily, and Kapri rolled her eyes.

"How lucky are you?" the pink haired villain grumbled.

"Great, the whole family's here..." Tori groaned as they looked from the three, back to the boxing gloving wearing kangaroo.

"Let's do this!" Zurgane drew his swords and Bopp-A-Roo ran at them. The group split up, with Ari helping Tori and Dustin as they fought off the powerful general.

"That's no way to hold your swords!" Zurgane barked as he knocked Tori and Dustin aside and clashed his swords against Ari's. "Now this is how to hold swords!" he knocked hers into the air and hit Ari across the chest. She crashed to the ground, her swords clattering away. However, she leapt up again, grabbing them and fighting back with determination. Nearby, Hunter passed his power to Shane, who channelled it in his sword. Using the intense power, Shane knocked Bopp-A-Roo to the ground.

"Ready?" Shane called as they combined their weapons again.

"Totally!" Hunter and Blake combined their weapons and Ari did the same.

"Not so fast!" Kapri called as they stepped in front of the kangaroo. "You thought hers was good? Try mine," she smirked, and created a powerful shield that blocked them.

"That looks pretty strong," Tori gulped.

"What now?" Shane wondered, knowing that if Marah's had repelled their three attacks, then an even more powerful shield would do exactly the same.

"What if we combined all of our weapons?" Hunter suggested, and they all looked at him in surprise.

"Hey, that might work!" Shane nodded. They combined the three together, and aimed it at the shield.

"Thunderstorm cannon!" the Rangers supported it together as Kapri paled, now looking nervous.

"Oh, look at that thing! Let's get outta here!" the pink haired girl yelled, and she, Marah and Zurgane teleported off, taking Bopp-A-Roo by surprise.

"Huh? My buddies have bailed!" he cried out.

"Ready?"

"Full Power!" they fired the powerful attack at him, and it easily shattered the shield, and destroyed Bopp-A-Roo. They cheered, before Bopp-A-Roo reappeared in giant form.

"Cam, Zord time!" Shane called into his morpher.

"_On their way_!" Cam told them, and the six Zords arrived on the battlefield.

"I've got bouncification for the three of ya!" Bopp-A-Roo called as the Wind and Thunder Rangers formed their Megazords. They summoned their Serpent Swords as Ari called on her swords. "I'm feelin' punchy!" the Kangaroo declared as he ran at them. They each swung their weapons, but he blocked them and knocked them back. "I'm a hot hoppin' heat hurler!" he threw more fire at them, and they cried out.

"_Shane, Hunter, Ari! Call the Mini Zord_!" Cam told them quickly, sending them their disks.

"Ready guys?" Shane called as he lifted his.

"Oh yeah!" Hunter nodded as Ari grinned.

"Locked and dropped!" they called on their separate pieces that combined to make Mini Zord.

"_I am Mini Zord! Thunderstorm Megazord formation, engaged!_" the three combined to make their much more powerful Megazord.

"Whoa!"

"Lion laser!" Shane called, and they fired the powerful attack at Bopp-A-Roo.

"This pouch is poached!" he cried as it overwhelmed him.

1-2-3-4-5

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late!" Ari ran up, yelling over the roar of the bikes as they sped past.

"No problem Ari, and hey, congratulations!" Dustin grinned as he glanced at the girl who carried a trophy in her arms. "Second place is pretty sweet," he told her, and Ari smiled back.

"Thanks," she nodded. "It's no first, but considering I don't race on a bike that often, I'll take it," she grinned. "I'm telling you Dustin, we should have entered this one, given Hunter and Shane a run for their money," Ari smirked, and Dustin laughed as Shane scoffed.

"No way am I taking on Hunter, have you seen him?" they looked out to where Hunter was dominating the race. "He is ripping it up man!" they cheered and clapped as he passed the finishing line. Shane went to join him for the final run, and Dustin and Ari joined up with Tori and Blake for the climb at the end.

"Go for it guys!" Blake called, and the two reached the finish at the top, inciting more cheering.

"And the winner of this year's Total Trek is the team of Shane and Hunter!" Kelly announced, holding a large trophy for them to take.

"Not bad," Tori pushed the trophy up so she could stand between them.

"Yeah, bigger trophy than Ari's," Hunter smirked, and Ari shrugged.

"Hey, next year I will take you guys on," she warned them, making them laugh.

"We're trying to learnify with great knowledgeness," Shane told them with a grin.

"What?" Tori raised an eyebrow, not understanding a word he said.

"We're starting to hang together better," Hunter explained, and the two shook hands. As soon as they clapped their hands together, their grins dropped and they began to try and force each other back, making the other four groan.

"At least it's a start," Tori sighed, shaking her head, and they walked away, leaving the two to fight it out.

**Hope you liked it! Just five chapters left to write!**

**Let me know what you think!**


	13. The Sun's Weakness

Chapter 13: The Sun's Weakness

Crying out as a powerful attack hit their Megazords, the Rangers crashed to the ground. The monster responsible for the blow laughed and stood over them, ready to attack again.

"This guy is brutal!" Dustin groaned as they pushed the Storm Megazord back its feet.

"No doubt," Blake agreed, nodding as the Thunder Megazord got up too.

"We can handle it!" Ari called as she forced the Swan Zord up. "Power disk!" she called on her swords and ran at the monster, slashing across his front and making him cry out.

"Be careful!" Shane yelled as the monster swatted at her. Ari manoeuvred around the attack and struck again, knocking him to the ground.

"Let's call on Mini Zord!" Hunter called as the Swan Zord jumped back.

"Yeah!" the others nodded, and they called on the much smaller Zord, who combined their Zords into one large Zord.

"You'll pay for that!" Lothor's goon declared as he got back up. He fired another attack at them, but the wings that came from Ari's Zord covered them, protecting them from the hit.

"We'll pay in full! Lion blaster!" Shane called back, and they fired their powerful attack that destroyed the monster easily, adding up one more victory to the Rangers.

1-2-3-4-5

"Yo, what's eating you Shane?" Dustin asked as they walked into Storm Chargers later on. Shane was frowning as they all looked at him curiously.

"Let me guess, you're mad that Ari was reckless again today," Tori rolled her eyes, recognising the look. The Gold Ranger had gone off earlier, leaving the older Rangers to talk in Storm Chargers.

"She put herself in unnecessary danger _again_. What happens when she isn't so lucky? We can't afford for her to be unable to fight," Shane muttered.

"It's not luck man," Blake frowned at him. "Ari's a great fighter," he told the Red Ranger, who shook his head.

"When are you going to accept that Ari's as good as us? _Better _than us?" Tori demanded with a frown as Shane slumped down in a seat, still frowning deeply. The others sat down beside him.

"Sure she's a bit reckless, but she's saved our asses a lot," Hunter commented, wondering why Shane was the only one with the problem.

"Guys, she's 15!" Shane exclaimed loudly. "She's a kid! She's naïve, immature, and she's reckless! Just because you gave her a makeover doesn't make her any older! If she wasn't so desperate to prove herself to us-"

"To you man," Dustin interrupted Shane's loud rant. "You're the only one with a problem. We all trust Ari," the Yellow Ranger told him, and the others nodded, before looking up as Kelly stormed over. They all stared at the red-head, never having seen her look so furious.

"You are aware that Ari is working here today and can hear everything you're saying, right?" she demanded, and they all froze. Ari ran out from the back, not pausing to look at them as she ran out. "Real nice Shane," Kelly growled at the Red Ranger as everyone turned to glare at him. "You better fix this," she warned.

"Oh, he will," Tori spoke with equal hostility.

1-2-3-4-5

Ari ran through Blue Bay Harbour, half blinded by tears. She knew that Shane still didn't believe that she was right for the job. She knew that he thought she was too reckless. But it didn't make hearing his words any easier. Even if the others completely disagreed with what he was saying. More tears spilled down her face, and she ran into someone.

"Whoa, careful," a familiar voice laughed. Ari looked up in surprise, and through her tears she saw Xander looking down. His grin dropped instantly. "Ari? What happened?" he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders. The combination of seeing her best friend, and how she was feeling, causing more tears to pour down her face. She pressed her face into his chest as the sobs escaped, and he wrapped his arms around her quickly.

1-2-3-4-5

"Look, I'm sorry, but it's true!" Shane exclaimed as he stood in Storm Chargers.

"Just because it's your opinion, doesn't make it true dude," Dustin warned him. The Red Ranger sighed as he shook his head. Tori had already left to try and find Ari, and the others were trying to get Shane to see reason. Kelly was behind the counter, scowling at Shane when she wasn't tending to customers.

"Dustin's right," Blake agreed, and Hunter nodded. "You're not believing in Ari because she's a couple of years younger than us, but after everything, you should trust her. More than you would trust us," he added as he looked to his brother.

"At least she hasn't tried to kill you," Hunter commented with a grin.

"He's got a point," Dustin grinned as well, and Shane rolled his eyes.

"G'day," they all looked around to survey the tall young man with an Australian accent who was standing in front of them with a pleasant smile. "I was wondering, would any of you happen to be Shane?" he asked, looking from one to the other.

"That's me," Shane stepped forwards with a confused frown. Xander's dark eyes darted to him, and his pleasant smile dropped. Before any of them could react, he had punched the Red Ranger in the face.

"Whoa, what the hell?" Dustin demanded as Shane staggered back, falling onto a seat with a hand over his eye, and the three other Rangers stepped in front of him.

"Just who are you?" Hunter growled. No matter how angry they were with Shane, he was their friend and team-mate, and no stranger was going to attack him, especially not in Storm Chargers.

"Xander!" they all looked over to the doorway as Ari yelled out. Her eyes were red and still filled with tears, and her face was stained from the tears that had already run down her face. She rushed over and stood between Xander and the others, pushing him back.

"Wait..._this _is Xander?" Blake stared at the frowning Australian, who wouldn't budge, no matter how much Ari pushed. They'd heard all about Ari's best friend.

"Yes," Ari nodded as she gave up trying to force him back, and nodded to the others.

"I don't care who he is, you can't hit people in my shop," Kelly walked over with a frown.

"Xander!" Ari frowned up at her friend, who shrugged.

"Ari!" he mimicked, and she rolled her eyes. She frowned up at him, and he put a hand over her face. "Don't look at me in that tone of voice, I'm not apologising," Xander told her firmly, and Ari swatted him away.

"Fine," she muttered. "I'll see you guys later," Ari looked at the three who stood in front of them, before she pulled Xander out of the shop.

"Uh, does nobody care about how that guy _punched _me?" Shane demanded, a hand still over his eye.

"You kinda deserved it," Blake grinned as they turned around to look at him. Shane scowled at them as Hunter and Dustin and even Kelly nodded in agreement.

"Ari came back? And who was the guy with her?" Tori asked as she walked back in, before her eyes settled on the four. "And what happened to you?" she asked Shane with a quirked eyebrow. Shane just groaned and dropped his head forwards.

1-2-3-4-5

"You really shouldn't have punched him," Ari muttered as Xander skateboarded by. She sat on a bench by the skate park, frowning up at him.

"He shouldn't have made you cry," Xander just rolled his eyes, not backing down. Ari sighed and shook her head, but she smiled all the same. "So are you going to just sit there? Or show me these moves that only got you second place?" he asked as he saw her smile.

"Hey, second place was good!" Ari defended as she stood up and hit him with her helmet before putting it on her head. "I'd like to see you take on a bunch of pro racers," she muttered.

"Oh I would," Xander nodded seriously. "And I'd win first place too," Ari took off her helmet and hit him with it, making him laugh. "Alright, alright," he jumped away, still laughing as Ari just grinned at him. "Interesting change of clothes by the way. Who burned your wardrobe and replaced it with actual girl clothes?" he asked when he ensured that he was far enough away to avoid another hit.

"Tori. Well, she didn't burn my clothes, but-hey, what's wrong with what I wore before?" Ari frowned, tossing her helmet at the now laughing young man.

"I'm smart enough to know not to answer that," Xander laughed, and Ari rolled her eyes. As she stepped onto her board, they heard screams, and looked around. The skaters already in the park were fleeing as a crowd of Kelzacks swarmed.

"Oh no..." Ari breathed as they spotted her and ambled towards her. "Of all the days," a hand rested on her shoulder and she looked up as Xander stepped in the way. The Kelzacks stopped a metre away, preparing to attack. "Xander, no-"

"Hey there," Xander smiled charmingly at them. "Name's Xander. We'll just be on our way, so if you don't mind moving-" one of the Kelzacks interrupted him by running at him, its red blade raised. Ari moved in the way and planted her boot into its chest, before spinning and kicking it back into the others. "I see those martial arts classes are paying off," the startled teen behind her commented.

"You have no idea," Ari shook her head as she fell into a fighting stance. "Get back Xander, I can handle these losers," she told him.

"What? No! I'm not leaving you to fight these guys, we need to-" Ari didn't wait for him to finish, and jumped at the footsoldiers that were swarming around. "Oh yeah, I forgot she doesn't listen..." Xander groaned as he watched her fight off the Kelzacks.

"Like you can talk!" she called back, dropping and tripping a Kelzack. One caught her with a punch to the back, and Ari cried out as she stumbled forwards, thrown off. She tried to recover, but the Kelzacks took advantage of it and swarmed her. "Get away from me!" Ari fought back, before one was grabbed from behind and tossed aside. "Xander!" Ari frowned up at him as he grinned and knocked another aside.

"Hey, you said it yourself, I don't listen," he told her, kicking another away. Unlike Ari's precise and well trained moves, he was sloppy and had no idea what he was doing.

"Mind if I step in?" Ari swore as Lothor's latest goon stepped in. With a well placed kick, he knocked Xander aside, and he was overwhelmed by Kelzacks.

"No!" Ari fought furiously to get back to him, but the large monster blocked her path and Xander was dragged away. "CELESTIAL STORM, RANGER FORM, HA!" desperate, Ari morphed, and called on her Solar Blades as Xander stared at her with wide eyes.

"I thought that was supposed to be a secret!" the monster laughed. He swatted her away as Ari ran at him, and she leapt up, cutting through the Kelzacks that swarmed her. He then caught her with a small blast that caught Ari's leg and knocked her to the ground with a cry. "And I thought you Power losers were better than this! You're boring!" he shot another blast of energy at her, but Hunter and Blake stepped in the way, blocking the attack.

"How about us?" Blake called as the monster stepped back in surprise before Shane blasted him from behind with his Hawk Blaster.

"Yeah man, are we boring you?" Dustin called as he and Tori took out the last of the Kelzacks that had swarmed Ari.

"As a matter of fact, yes!" the monster slammed his foot against the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked them all off their feet. "I'm out of here!" he ran off before they could stop him, and Ari groaned before sitting up quickly.

"No!" she was on her feet in an instant, and staggered, looking about wildly.

"What's wrong?" Tori asked, catching the injured Ranger.

"They took Xander!" Ari pulled in her grip, but the others stopped her.

"Let's get back to Ninja Ops, Cam can help us find him, and you can get your leg checked out," Blake suggested, seeing her favouring one leg. Ari's head dropped as tears spilled down her face, and she nodded.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ari, if you don't stop trying to find out what's going on, I'm never going to be able to do this," Tori pushed the Gold Ranger down onto the cot for the sixth time as she tried to bandage her ankle. It was twisted and bruised, but other than that it was fine.

"But I-"

"But nothing," Tori told the black haired girl firmly. "After I finish here, then we'll go see what Cam's found," Ari nodded silently, and remained sitting until Tori finished wrapping the bandage. "There we go. Now come on," Tori helped her up, and Ari limped into the main room of Ninja Ops.

"So this is the same guy that gave Shane a black eye?" Cam asked as Ari leaned on his chair. The computer was scanning for traces of Kelzacks and the monster that had attacked them.

"He's not normally like that," Ari muttered, her grip tightening on the back of the chair. Shane scoffed, and Ari looked around with a glare. "He's not! He's the kind of idiot who thinks that talking to Kelzacks will get him out of trouble," she muttered as she looked back to the computer.

"Hey, we'll find him," Dustin spoke as he walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"I had to morph in front of him," Ari admitted softly.

"You what?" Cam looked up sharply as Ari didn't meet anyone's gazes.

"What part of _secret_ identity did you not understand?" Shane demanded with a frown, and Ari looked around quickly, her eyes narrowed.

"Oh I understood it Shane, but when it came down to either trying to save my best friend or doing nothing, it didn't really matter," Shane was surprised by her hostile voice, and didn't say anything. She looked back at the computer as the others didn't speak either.

"Ari is right. Protecting this city and those in it is what is truly important," Sensei spoke up from Cam's other side. They all looked over as they computer beeped, and zoomed in on where Xander was still trying to fight his way out.

"Alright, let's go," Shane stood up and his eyes lingered on Ari's bandaged leg, but her expression told them all that she wasn't going to stay behind. "Ready?" he called as they lined up.

"Ready!"

"NINJA STORM!"

"CELESTIAL STORM!"

"THUNDER STORM!"

"RANGER FORM, HA!" they morphed and took off to take on the monster again.

"Well finally!" the monster laughed as he turned and looked to the group of six Rangers. "I thought you would never get here!" he immediately stomped the ground, and the Rangers managed to dodge the blast that was fired their way.

"Solar Blades!" Ari called on her swords and ran at the Kelzacks with Dustin and Tori while the other three took on Stompedo. The three fought off the Kelzacks that outnumbered them five to one, swinging punches and kicks.

"Ari, be careful!" Dustin warned as he saw her flinch from leaning too heavily on her damaged ankle.

"I know," Ari leaned on the other leg as she spun, cutting across three Kelzacks. She jumped, knocking the long daggers out of their hands, leaving them open to attack from Dustin and Tori. She kicked the last one away from Xander, who was on the ground, staring up with wide eyes. "You ok?" Ari crouched down in front of him as her visor dropped.

"Always," he grinned, and she smiled back. "Of course, I could have gotten away myself," Xander told her confidently. Ari just rolled her eyes, and straightened up.

"Whatever, dork. Stay there, and for once listen to me. I'm the muscle in this friendship, and you're...well, everything else," Ari's visor shut and she turned back to where the others were still fighting Stompedo.

"You have a point there," Xander nodded in agreement. "But I want an explanation when you're done," he told her, and Ari laughed before running to join the fight, barely even touching down on her injured foot. She raked her blades up his back, making him cry out in pain.

"Come on guys, let's put them together!" Shane called, and they all combined their weapons into one huge one.

"Thunderstorm Cannon! Fire!" Stompedo cried out, and the attack slammed into him, destroying him. However, it was only for a moment, before he reappeared, much larger than before.

"Time to crush you pests!" he roared from above as they looked up.

"Cam, the Zords!" Shane called into his morpher.

"_On their way_!" the genius confirmed on the other end of the communication line. The Zords appeared nearby, and they jumped into them, forming their Megazords.

"Serpent Sword!"

"Ram Hammer!"

"Swan Slicers!" the three attacked Stompedo, knocking him about. He staggered back, before stomping his large feet several times. The Rangers cried out as they were bowled over from the resulting waves, and their weapons were thrown aside.

"I'm so done with this guy," Tori groaned.

"You and me both," Blake agreed as he and Hunter pushed the Thunder Megazord back up.

"Alright, then let's finish this up and go home!" Dustin cheered. Cam sent the three Power Disks that would call on the pieces of Mini Zord. Shane, Ari and Hunter summoned the power spheres, which burst open and combined.

"_I am Mini Zord! Thunderstorm Megazord formation, engaged_!" the three combined, creating the much larger, more powerful Megazord.

"That doesn't scare me!" Stompedo fired a blast of energy at them, but the wings came down and blocked it. "And neither does that!" he stomped his feet once again, but using the wings, the Megazord flew into the air, avoiding the attack.

"Maybe this will!" Ari called down to him as he gasped, looking up at them.

"Lion Blaster!" they pulled the cord, spinning the wheel on the front of the Megazord. The lion head opened and fired a powerful attack at Stompedo, along with the two cannons on the shoulders. Stompedo shrieked, before collapsing and exploding, defeated.

1-2-3-4-5

"So you're not actually on some training thing here?" Xander asked as he walked though Blue Bay Harbour, with Ari on his back. In the fight, she had damaged her ankle even more, and after a lecture from Cam, she had been ordered to stay off it.

"Technically, I am," Ari grinned. "I'm still learning, but it's just the cover story for what's actually happening," she shrugged, tightening her grip around his neck so that she didn't fall.

"I'm still mad that you didn't tell me that you're a Ninja," Xander complained as he glanced around at her.

"It's supposed to be a secret," the Gold Ranger rolled her eyes as he pouted at her. "You have no idea how much trouble I'm in for showing you. I didn't think Cam's lecture was ever going to end," she complained, making him chuckle. "Especially since you punched the Red guy?" she reminded him, and he just laughed more. "You could stand to look a little guilty..." Ari grumbled, but he just shrugged, nearly knocking her off.

"Hey, you can't give me grief, I said I'd keep your secret, didn't I?" he asked, and Ari just huffed in response.

"Just please, be careful...there's a reason we keep our identities secret..." she tightened her grip, and Xander stopped. "Lothor's already gone after you once, I don't want him to do the same again," Ari spoke softly. As soon as Jessie had mentioned to her that Xander was thinking about visiting, she had been worried about Lothor and his attacks.

"Oh Ari, it's so sweet of you to be worried about me," Xander grinned, turning his head to look at her again. He flinched as she slammed her fist against his chest, scowling at him. "I'll be careful, little mermaid, as long as you are," he told her softly, and Ari scowled as she went red.

"You know I hate when you call me that..." she muttered irritably, and he laughed.

"Well your name _is _Ariel, what else should I call you?" the Australian asked innocently, and Ari glared at the back of his head.

"Ari, like everyone else," the Gold Ranger grumbled at him.

"What about birdie?" Xander suggested, and cried out as Ari grabbed his hair and pulled. "Ok, ok, I'm sorry," he laughed, moving about as she kept pulling.

"I've spent years trying to get Mal to stop calling me that. _You_ are not going to start," she warned him as she finally released his hair, glowering.

"I guess I'll stick with sunshine then," her best friend decided as he started to walk again. Ari rolled her eyes.

"Better than most nicknames," she gave up and held on again. She shook her head as they headed to Storm Chargers, but had a small smile on her face all the same.

"What happened to you?" Kelly demanded as they walked into Storm Chargers.

"I uh, fell off my skateboard," Ari shrugged. Kelly's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You fell off your skateboard," Kelly repeated, deadpan as Ari smiled weakly. "You, the one who has better balance than the rest of my employees put together," she shot Dustin, Hunter and Blake frowns as they just shrugged.

"In fairness, Dustin's balance isn't great," Ari argued.

"Hey..." Dustin frowned as the Thunder Rangers grinned at him.

"You're the one who learned how to ride a bike well enough to race in two months," Kelly's suspicion didn't lighten.

"I had a good teacher?" Ari offered nervously as she hid even more behind Xander in an attempt to escape Kelly's suspicious glare. Dustin's grin returned as Kelly turned to look at him. She let out a frustrated hum, before walking off.

"Really smooth Ari," Blake laughed as the Gold Ranger groaned.

"Oh shut up," she mumbled as Xander let her down. "I didn't see you coming up with anything better," Ari frowned at him.

"I don't need to come up with anything better to know that that was terrible," he countered, and Ari rolled her eyes as they all laughed at her.

"You're all jerks," Ari announced as she stalked off as best she could, which only made them laugh even more.

**This will probably be the last chapter for a while, as I'm working tomorrow and moving house on Friday, which means I won't have internet for god knows how long.**

**I hope you like it! Let me know what you think!**


	14. The Samurai's Journey Part 1

Chapter 14: The Samurai's Journey Part 1

"No way dude. There's no way he does it," Hunter was the first to voice his doubt as the group of 6 Rangers stood gathered around Sensei, who was facing a couple of large concrete brick.

"I dunno dude, he is pretty strong for a little guy," Dustin looked a little sceptical, but chose to have faith in their teacher.

"_Quiet_," Shane hissed at them. "A little respect for the Master?" he growled, and they rolled their eyes but fell silent.

"Watch closely Rangers," Sensei spoke from the ground in the middle. He let out a yell, and smashed through one of the bricks easily. They all let out shocked exclamations, laughing in disbelief.

"That was radical!" Blake laughed, shaking his head.

"You were saying?" Tori smirked at Hunter, who couldn't take his eyes off the brick. Ari giggled from beside Tori, her hands over her mouth.

"I stand corrected, but how?!" Hunter demanded as he finally managed to tear his gaze from the ground.

"Power comes from the mind, not the body," Ari spoke up, remembering what Sensei Sugiura had told her.

"Correct, Ari," Sensei nodded from the brick he was perched on.

"Alright, I'm up!" Hunter announced with a grin.

"You sure you want to go there?" Blake smirked.

"Look, if he can do it..." Hunter trailed off as he remembered who the little guinea pig was. "I can give it my best shot," he looked a little more uncertain as Shane placed a new brick down and winked at him, looking as doubtful as the rest. Hunter knelt in front of the block, and slammed his hand down. He froze, and let out a gasp of pain, while the others started to laugh. Blake shoved Shane, frowning at him.

"Looks like rodent one, Thunder Ranger, zip," Shane mocked.

"You think you can do it?" Hunter challenged, and Shane paused for a moment, before indicating to the Thunder Ranger to move out of the way, looking confident.

"This is not going to go well," Ari determined as she sat down on the table. She rubbed her ankle as she watched Shane crouch in front of the brick. It was almost completely healed, except for the occasional twinge. Cam watched from the computer, shaking his head as Shane slammed his hand down, and cried out in pain. Tori tried next, and failed miserably as well. Blake slammed his head down onto the block, and fell back with a yell as Ari burst out laughing.

"What, you're not going to try?" the Navy Ranger grumbled as he glared at her, a hand on his forehead.

"I get injured enough when fighting bad guys, I'm not about to get my butt kicked by a brick," Ari laughed back, tears in the corners of her eyes.

"You have come far in your training, but you still have a long way to go," they all gathered around Sensei again as he stood in his house.

"Yeah, but you're like, a full on super ninja master!" Dustin shrugged, shaking his head. Hearing a yell, they all looked around to see Cam smash through the brick as easily as his father had done. He looked up to see the Ninjas staring at him, with only Tori and Ari looking impressed.

"Oh, _what_?" Shane demanded in disbelief.

"What?" Cam challenged as he became defensive again.

"Alright, how did you do that?" Shane asked, shaking his head. "Oh, ho! You used some laser beam thing, right?" he shook his head as the others looked at him.

"Or you switched the bricks around! I saw that in a stunt show at a theme park!" Dustin remembered, looking just as sceptical as the others. Cam's expression hardened, and he crouched, lifting part of the broken brick. He tossed it to Dustin, and the Earth Ninja was pulled down with it as he caught it. "Okay, maybe not," he determined.

"It's gotta be a trick," Hunter was just as sceptical as the others, and Cam sighed.

"You still don't get it, do you?" he scowled at them. When they looked confused, he shook his head. "Just because someone isn't a Ranger, it doesn't make them completely useless. I need some air," he announced angrily, storming off. Tori shot the guys a dirty look, and she and Ari followed him outside.

"You think he's mad at us?" Dustin frowned, totally confused.

Tori and Ari walked out to where Cam was skipping stones across the peaceful lake, his back to them. He glanced over his shoulder at them, before returning to what he was doing.

"You alright?" Tori asked as they stood on either side of him. Cam let out a heavy sigh.

"Yeah...just tired of the lack of respect," he grumbled.

"Who says you don't get any respect?" Tori frowned, and Cam didn't respond as he stared out at the lake. "Cam, everything we're able to do, is because of what _you're _able to do," she reminded him softly.

"It's not enough..." Cam shook his head. "I want to be part of it," he admitted, and both looked up at him.

"You want to be a Ranger," Ari remembered his argument with his father.

"Why don't you talk to Sensei?" Tori asked when Cam didn't respond to the black haired girl.

"I have...he's forbidden me," still not looking at either of them, Cam spoke softly.

"Forbidden you? Why?" Tori asked.

"He promised my mother that he wouldn't let anything happen to me," he explained to Tori, whose smile faded a little. "And that means refusing to let me help you guys out in any other way than behind a computer," Cam grumbled bitterly, tossing another rock across the lake.

"Cam, your father just wants what's best for you," Ari told him gently, her hands behind her back. "That's all any parent would want. But you have to tell him how you feel. How else is he going to know how important this is to you?" she asked softly, and Cam frowned as he thought about it.

"Ari's right," Tori nodded with a smile. "Talk to Sensei. He's the most reasonable...well...guinea pig I've ever met," that made Cam smile and finally look at them.

"Ok, but if he doesn't listen, I'm not cleaning his cage for a month," he warned them, making them laugh as he tossed the stone in his hand across the lake.

"Totally fair," Ari clapped him on the arm with a laugh, and they turned to walk back, only for the lake to explode behind them and make them spin around. Marah and Kapri appeared on the shore, accompanied by a group of Kelzacks and a new monster.

"We hate to break up this greeting-card moment-"

"But we're, like, here to destroy you," Marah finished with a bright grin, before looking to her sister and muttering.

"Attack!" after rolling her eyes, Kapri barked at Madtropolis. He fired a blast of energy at the three, who were thrown to the ground. "Back off, geek," she laughed as Cam got up and fell into a fighting stance. Her laughing was cut off as the other Ninjas arrived, and she frowned.

"I've heard of cities coming alive, but this is ridiculous!" Dustin commented as he looked at the monster.

"Haha!" Madtropolis mocked. "Everybody's a comedian! You gonna morph, or do I have to beg?" he asked, which confused Ari.

"You got it," Shane frowned.

"Wait, something's wrong," Ari spoke up when she noticed Kapri's expression.

"Hey, they want us to morph and kick their butts, why should we disappoint them?" Shane growled back at her. Ari narrowed her eyes at him, but knew that Shane wouldn't listen to her. "Ready?"

"Ready!" the others nodded.

"NINJA STORM!"

"CELESTIAL STORM!"

"THUNDER STORM!"

"RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Power of Earth!"

"Air!"

"Water!"

"Power of the Sun!"

"Power of Thunder!" they morphed and faced off against their enemies, who charged at them.

"Cam, run!" Hunter barked at the genius, who shook his head.

"No way, I can help!" Cam insisted, and before they could try to get him to go, Madtropolis attacked them and knocked Blake to the ground. The Kelzacks swarmed Cam, and he fought them off while the Rangers fought the monster, who was carrying a strange ball under his arm. He kicked Dustin out of the way and knocked Tori down, before knocking Ari's ninja sword out of her hand. Marah and Kapri combined their powers to blast the Rangers off their feet.

"Now for the drain event!" Madtropolis announced, and lifted the lid from the ball. The Rangers cried out as their energy was sucked from their bodies and into the ball, except for Ari, who looked up from her kneeling position on the ground. Golden energy surrounded her, but didn't follow the other colours into the ball, instead shielding her from what was happening.

"What's he doing to us?" Blake cried out as their suits started to turn grey.

"Try to resist!" Shane yelled, his voice strained.

"I can't!" Hunter fell to the ground, along with the rest, and they demorphed.

"That ought to do it!" Madtropolis closed the lid on the ball, and laughed as Ari got to her feet.

"What did you do?" she demanded as the golden light around her faded.

"Why didn't your energy drain with the others?!" Marah demanded, and Ari's eyes widened under her helmet. She looked at the other Rangers, who all looked completely exhausted. They were pale and breathing heavily, looking almost sick.

"Whatever, we got most of them! She can't take us all on alone!" Kapri rolled her eyes, dismissing Ari.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Power Losers!" Madtropolis mocked, and Ari ran at them, but they all disappeared, including the Kelzacks that had pinned Cam down in the sand.

"Is everybody ok?" he asked as he ran over to the others. Ari joined him, demorphing as he looked to her, both with worried expressions.

"I feel like I just rode a 45-minute moto on a tricycle," Dustin groaned as the two still ok helped them up.

"We better get you back to Ops," Cam told them as he helped Shane, and Ari helped Tori up as they hurried back inside.

1-2-3-4-5

Cam ran a scanner over Shane, who looked as exhausted as the others. Ari stared at the computer, unable to stop shaking as she saw the results of the scan.

"Man...that guy worked us..." Shane groaned, and Ari glanced around at him. "What happened out there?" he asked as Ari studied the other Rangers worriedly.

"Madtropolis drained your Ranger energy force," Cam explained as they all looked wearily up at him. "If you got out and fight again, there's a good chance you won't come back," he told them.

"Dude, that's harsh," Dustin whimpered from the ground.

"This is grave news," Sensei turned from the computer screen to look at them. Tori and Blake were leaning against each other, and Hunter couldn't even lift his head. "We must find a way to retrieve your powers," he told them. Dustin, Tori and Blake all looked up at Ari. Even through their exhaustion, they managed to look curious and confused. Ari felt exactly the same.

"Cam...why didn't that thing take my energy?" she asked as he walked back over to the computer.

"You know how much I hate saying this...but I have no idea," Cam glanced at her with a worried look. "At first it looked like it was, but...that light seemed to be protecting you, instead of being taken from you," he commented as he studied Ari curiously.

"I don't get it...why am I so different? I have this weird power that makes me teleport out of danger or make weapons that would hurt me disappear...and now it's protecting me from even having my Ranger energy stolen? I don't get it," Ari put her hands to her face as the questions that had started when she had first become a Ranger continued to mount. Cam put a hand on her shoulder, before the computer beeped and they looked up.

"Look, there he is," Tori groaned, and Ari frowned as she watched Madtropolis.

"Ari, no, you can't handle this guy alone," Cam recognised the look on her face, and Ari stepped back, allowing Cam's hand to drop to his side.

"And you think I'll fare any better with them?" she jabbed her thumb at the weakened Rangers. "If they come out with me, then I'll just be focused on making sure that they don't get hurt," Cam groaned as he knew she was right. "I'll get that ball back," Ari told him determinedly.

"What? You can't go out there alone," Tori protested, but Ari ignored her and stepped away from Cam.

"CELESTIAL STORM, RANGER FORM, HA!" she morphed for the second time in an hour, and ninja-streaked out of Ninja Ops, and towards Madtropolis.

1-2-3-4-5

Madtropolis stood alone in a warehouse, laughing to himself as he strapped a bomb onto the ball that held the Ranger powers. He lit the fuse, ready to destroy their powers.

"Now to blast these Ranger powers out of existence!" he laughed as he watched the fuse burn down, until a golden blur darted past, taking the ball with it. "What?!" Madtropolis spun around to see Ari holding the ball tightly in her arms.

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen," the Gold Ranger told him as she pulled the bomb off and tossed it aside.

"Hey! That's mine! I stole it fair and square!" Madtropolis yelled angrily, and fired a blast that missed as Ari dove out of the way, still holding the ball under her arm. She ran at him, drawing her ninja sword. However, as she swung down, he disappeared.

"What the heck?" Ari's eyes widened and she looked around. "That's my trick!" she complained, only for Madtropolis to appear behind her and hit her from behind, making her cry out and roll along the ground.

"Now give that back to me!" Madtropolis ordered angrily as Ari held onto the orb.

"Never!" she yelled back at him as she got to her feet again. "I'm the only one who can protect my friends' powers from you, and I'm _not _going to let them down!" Ari told him furiously.

"That's what you think!" he told her with a laugh, before disappearing. Before she knew it, Ari was surrounded by darkness, looking around curiously as she held onto the ball.

"Now what?" she wondered.

"Hey!" the Gold Ranger jumped when she heard Dustin's voice echo behind her. She spun around as she saw the Yellow Ranger running towards her. Her mind screamed at her that it was a trap, but she couldn't react in time, and Madtropolis knocked her to the ground with a powerful blow to the stomach that almost made her drop the ball. "Just drop it!" while she was still down, he hit her again with a kick to the ribs, and she rolled away. As he went to blast her again, a hit caught him from behind.

"What the?!" Madtropolis was forced to return to his normal form as the darkness disappeared. Ari looked up, and her eyes widened in shock.

"Uh...Cam...you forget to tell me about something?" she managed to ask into her communicator as she stared up at another Power Ranger. This one was silver in colour, wearing the same uniform as Ari and Tori did.

"_I...I thought she was with you_," Cam's voice was equally shocked. The stranger turned around, ignoring the fallen monster, and Ari inhaled sharply. On the forehead of the helmet, above the visor, was the image of an owl, and on the chest, the symbol of a Moon Ninja from the Celestial Academy.

"No way..." Ari spoke, and the Ninja walked over, crouching swiftly in front of her as she offered a hand.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Her voice was gentle, but serious, and Ari was hit by the familiarity of it.

"I'm fine," Ari got to her feet. "Who are you?" she asked one of the many questions running through her head, and the girl laughed. Her laugh was as gentle as her voice, and filled the air with a tinkling melody.

"I think we should deal with this guy first, don't you?" she asked, helping Ari to her feet.

"You're right," the Gold Ranger agreed, and the two looked over at the recovering monster.

"I was never told about _another _Ranger! This is ridiculous!" he yelled as he got to his feet.

"Hey, I wasn't told either," Ari shrugged, and the pair ran at him. Ari was amazed as she watched the Silver Ranger in action. She was fast, and incredibly skilled in the way of a Moon Ninja. She was powerful too, and didn't speak as she knocked Madtropolis back. However, he blasted them with more energy, and knocked them down.

"Now for the last time, give me that ball!" Madtropolis yelled at them, growing more furious by the moment.

"Like hell that'll happen!" Ari yelled back at him. She set it down at her feet, and held out her hands. "Solar Blades!" she called on her weapons, and slammed them together. "My team is counting on me, and I will never let them down as long as I live!" she started to spin them.

"I like your attitude," the mysterious Silver Ranger nodded, and drew a large silver bow. "Lunar bow!" she pulled back as silver energy began to form at the front in the shape of an arrow. "Moon Arrow!"

"Solar Strike!" the gold and silver attacks were released, and combined, slamming into Madtropolis. He screamed, and collapsed, exploding in scarlet flames. However, seconds later, he was reborn, growing to a titan size and breaking through the roof of the abandoned warehouse.

"I'm scraping the skies!" he declared as Ari and the Silver Ranger ran outside. "End of the road, Rangers!" he laughed at the two.

"Let's try and get that thing open," the stranger suggested, and Ari nodded. She handed it over, and slammed down with her swords. However, her blades bounced straight off it, and Ari's eyes widened.

"Well that's just great...I don't have time to figure out how to open it," she looked up as Madtropolis laughed at them. "Cam! I need my Zord!" she called into her morpher as she took the ball back.

"_Are you crazy? You can't fight that guy on your own_!" Cam exclaimed in disbelief.

"Oh yeah, and I have so many other options at the moment," Ari spoke sarcastically back, rolling her eyes.

"_Fine, but we need to get that sphere back to Ninja Ops_," Cam sighed as he knew that she was right. "_I've been working on a new teleportation system...I hope it's ready..._" he muttered, and the ball disappeared in a flash.

"_We're on our way too,_" Shane spoke up, and Ari's eyes widened.

"No way, you're all too weak to fight!" she exclaimed back, and dove out of the way of Madtropolis' attack with the Silver Ranger.

"_We're not going to sit back and watch you take him on alone_!" Shane yelled back at her, taking Ari by surprise. "_Cam's given us a boost to our energy, but it won't last long. We just need to fight this guy fast_," he told her, and within moments, the Zords were heading towards the fight.

"I don't have a Zord, so you're on your own for this one. I'll explain everything after," the Silver Ranger told Ari, looking up at the fight.

"You'll still be here?" Ari asked hopefully, and the Ninja nodded before running off. Ari leapt into her Zord as the other Megazords formed.

"Hey! Three Megazords to make my day!" Madtropolis laughed as he faced them. "Just how do you think you'll beat me when you can't even get to your powers?" he mocked. He then blasted them as they moved to attack, and threw them back.

"_Guys, be careful, this temporary energy boost isn't going to last long, especially in a Megazord fight_!" Cam warned them.

"Yeah Cam, we know!" Hunter growled back as they recovered from the hit.

"_I'm sending some protection, it's all you can handle right now_," the genius sent Shane a new Power Disk, and sent Ari the power sphere that gave her Zord a pair of swords.

"We'll take any help we can get!" Shane called, sounding drained. He called on the new Power Sphere, which opened to reveal a scarf. "A scarf?! You sent us a scarf?!" instantly Shane sounded completely disgusted.

"_Just go with it_!" Cam rolled his eyes in frustration. They were blasted again, but the scarf blocked the attack. They threw it at Madtropolis, and it slammed into him several times. The Storm Megazord caught it, and waved it again. The three disappeared, and Madtropolis recovered with a growl.

"It's going to take more than a giant hankie to fool me!" he yelled, and blasted where they had been standing. Fire blazed, and the Rangers were revealed.

"The heat! I don't have the strength left to fight it!" Shane cried out. Their Zords ejected them, and as they crashed to the ground, they demorphed.

"Just one left!" Madtropolis turned to Ari, and blasted her over and over until her own Zord was defeated. Ari hit the ground, but remained morphed. "Now say goodbye, Rangers!" he yelled down at them as the Silver Ranger ran to join them.

"You've not won yet!" Ari combined her blades and spun them. "Solar Blades!" she blasted Madtropolis, but it barely even made a dent.

"What was that?!" Madtropolis started to laugh. "Just like swatting a fly!" he reached down to crush them, only for time to freeze, stopping them all where they stood.

**Well I _would _have had this up yesterday when I got internet again, but Pokemon X has had my complete and utter focus when I haven't been unpacking.**

**The Silver Ranger was originally meant to come in straight away, working for Lothor with Hunter and Blake, but then I decided not to have her in it at all. Then when I got writing it, I decided I did want her in it, and completely re-wrote how the rest of the story would be. Now, I'm very attached to her...**

**Anyways, I hope you liked it! Let me know what you think!**


	15. The Samurai's Journey Part 2

Chapter 15: The Samurai's Journey Part 2

Time stood still throughout the world, freezing the Rangers in the one-sided battle against Madtropolis, who was leaning down to finish it.

All seven Rangers disappeared suddenly, and reappeared inside of Ninja Ops, where a protection field allowed them to move again. The five weakened Rangers groaned and immediately sat down.

"Oh man, what's the deal?" Blake groaned.

"I feel so weak," Hunter complained as they all could even barely remain sitting.

"Save your energy, Rangers," Sensei told them as they looked up. "I have activated Cam's teleportation system to bring you to safety...for now," he added.

"Including me, interesting," they all looked around at the mysterious Silver Ranger.

"Yes, who might you be?" Sensei asked curiously, and her suit shattered to reveal a young woman, around 19 years old. She had caramel brown hair that curled down to her ribs, tied back slightly so that it was out of her face. She was shorter than Ari, with blue eyes. A pair of red-rimmed glasses were perched on her nose, falling down slightly.

"Zoe?" Ari breathed as the others stared at the beautiful young woman. She demorphed, and the Silver Ranger's eyes widened.

"Ari!" she broke into a wide smile and pulled the young teenager into a tight hug. "I thought you were taken with all the others! I've been so worried!" she exclaimed as tears formed in both their eyes.

"You know each other?" Dustin asked weakly as they watched from the floor. Zoe released her, and Ari nodded.

"Zoe is a graduated Moon Ninja from the Celestial Academy, and Sensei Sugiura's daughter," she told them, and Zoe nodded as she became serious again.

"I was travelling in Europe when I received my father's message about Lothor attacking the schools," she explained.

"Wait, Sensei Sugiura said that the Moon Celestial morpher was destroyed along with the Flame morpher," Ari remembered what her teacher had told her when he had given her the Sun Celestial Morpher. "How did you get it? And fix it, for that matter?" she asked curiously, and Zoe grinned, pushing her glasses back up her nose.

"Around the time that I graduated from the Celestial Academy, I found it in my father's office. I felt drawn to it, and my father allowed me to try and fix it. I took it with me on my travels, and managed to fix it," she explained simply.

"But...you can't even work a computer..." Ari gaped at her. Zoe laughed again as the others stared up at her.

"I know right? I don't know what it was, but it was like it was telling me what to do or something," she shrugged. "I'm definitely no tech whizz, but it seems to work," Zoe looked down at the morpher that was strapped to her wrist.

"Cam could check it out," Ari suggested, before frowning. "Hold up..." she looked around, and found no sign of the resident genius.

"Hey...where _is _Cam?" Tori asked weakly as the others noticed as well.

"He has embarked upon a journey that could very well determine the fate of the world as we know it," Sensei spoke cryptically.

"No pressure there..." Ari commented as she folded her arms.

1-2-3-4-5

It wasn't too soon after Sensei had explained that Cam had gone back in time to find a power that would help the Rangers, that they found themselves beginning to disappear.

"Sensei, what's happening?" Tori asked weakly as she looked up from her fading body.

"Time is resuming its true course," Sensei explained as the others looked down. "You will be returned to where you were the moment time stopped," as he finished speaking, they disappeared.

They reappeared in the field below Madtropolis, and time resumed. The monster above them roared and moved, ready to attack, when a strange whirring noise reached them all, distracting even the monster.

"What's that sound?" Shane asked curiously as they all looked around.

"Look!" Tori spotted it first, and pointed up. What looked like a helicopter Zord was flying towards them.

"Hello Power Rangers!" they all squinted, and spotted a green Power Ranger leaning out a doorway with what looked like a giant microphone in his hand. "Looks like you could use a little help! Green Samurai Ranger, at your service!" he announced.

"Hey! Who are you?!" Madtropolis turned his attention to the new Ranger as they all stared up.

"I'm the Ranger who's gonna bring you down!" the Green Ranger called.

"Two new Rangers in one day...I can't deal with this," Ari groaned, putting her head in her hands. She and Zoe were morphed again, having been so before time had stopped. They watched as the new Zord made short work of Madtropolis, switching to a Megazord form and calling on a power sphere. It only took seconds for him to destroy the monster, and as the Rangers cheered in disbelief, the new Green Ranger leapt out and landed in front of them.

"Is it just me, or is there a guy in Green Ranger gear over there?" Dustin asked hesitantly as he pointed at the new guy.

"No dude, I see it too," Shane replied, and the others nodded.

"Yeah...you guys never said anything about a green one," Blake commented with a frown.

"Yeah, way to hold out on us," Hunter agreed with a nod.

"Hey, its news to us too," Shane argued as he looked at the Crimson Ranger, shaking his head.

"Hey, I thought we were trading in Shane for a Green Ranger?" Ari couldn't help but grin, and Shane shot her as dark a glare as he could manage as Tori and Dustin both tried not to smirk. Zoe glanced to her with a quirked eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Maybe we're all hallucinating?" Dustin suggested, unable to come up with any other explanation.

"You're not hallucinating Dustin," the Green Ranger finally spoke to them, sounding amused. Dustin's eyes widened, and he and Hunter exchanged looks.

"How do you know my name?" Dustin was clearly overwhelmed, trying to process too much information at once.

"Why wouldn't I know your name?" the Green Ranger asked with a grin, and Tori and Ari broke into wide smiles as they realised. The suit shattered, and the Rangers all stared at Cam for a moment before grinning widely, unable to believe it as he grinned back. "Look, right now, we have to get you back to Ninja Ops," Cam hurried over to them, knowing that they were in danger, exposed and out in the open. "Come on!" he yelled back to Dustin, who wasn't moving.

"No, I think I'll just wait here for a cab...or a bus. I'm worked," he complained as the others staggered away, with Ari, Zoe and Cam helping them.

"Run fool!" he looked up as he heard Lothor's yell. The evil Ninja laughed, in the air above him, and Dustin followed the others as they ran off, trying to escape him.

"Obviously, he didn't get enough love as a child," Blake gulped as they splashed through the river.

"Oh Rangers," two more voices rang out, and they looked over to Marah and Kapri, who stood nearby with wide smirks, ready to attack. Lothor attacked from behind, causing the water to splash up and soak them as they continued to run. However, they were forced to stop when more attacks hit from in front and Kelzacks surrounded them, and Cam, Ari and Zoe stood around the others, ready to fight if necessary.

"What's the matter, nephew? You don't like reunions?" Lothor asked with a laugh. Cam grimaced, and the rest of the group looked very confused.

"Nephew?" Ari looked to Cam, who didn't tear his gaze from Lothor.

"You can't choose your family, Lothor! And I certainly didn't choose you!" he called up to the exiled ninja.

"Pity, there's always a place for someone like you in my evil empire," Lothor commented, hands on his sides as Cam raised an eyebrow.

"You must be joking," the Green Ranger scoffed.

"We'll see who has the last laugh, Samurai Ranger!" Lothor called back as they prepared to fight, only for the Rangers to disappear.

All of them crashed to the ground of Ninja Ops, groaning at the unexpected trip.

"Mind giving us some warning, next time you're going to do something like that?" Hunter complained as he managed to get to his feet.

"Yeah, I'd prefer to land on my feet, not my face," Ari nodded as she demorphed, along with Zoe.

"Of course it's you," Cam noticed Zoe as she fixed her glasses again, and she winked back at him.

"Your appreciation is noted," Sensei replied, sounding almost sarcastic as they all stood up.

"Sorry Sensei," Shane apologised as they looked over to him. "It's just, if we had our powers, I know we could've taken him," the Red Ranger told him with a frown.

"Then perhaps it is time you got them back," Sensei spoke, and they all looked around at the ball on the table that contained the powers of the five Rangers. "It cannot be opened by force, but by the power that comes from within," he told them as they walked over to the ball.

"We still have power, could that work?" Ari asked, looking from Sensei to Cam.

"It's worth a shot," the Green Ranger nodded, and he, Ari, and Zoe put their hands over the ball as the others watched, holding their breaths in anticipation. Lights began to gather under their hands, and after a moment, the sphere shattered and lights slammed into the five weakened Rangers, who were thrown back, taking Cam, Ari and Zoe with them. The five broke into wide grins as they felt their powers returning, and they leapt back to their feet, performing kicks and punches that would have been impossible otherwise.

"Well that's a sight I never thought I'd miss," Ari commented as she got to her feet and brushed herself off.

"It's definitely an odd sight," Zoe nodded with a grin, not bothering to get up as she watched them.

"They're very odd people," Ari winked, and Zoe laughed.

"Hey, we're perfectly normal, thank you very much," Hunter messed up Ari's hair as he heard them talking. Ari laughed and ran off, hiding behind Cam.

"Somehow, I doubt that very much," Zoe smirked from the ground.

"Well, we're more normal than Ari," Hunter offered his hand to her as they both looked over to where Ari was poking the new Green Ranger, who was swatting her away with a grin.

"I don't think that there's anyone weirder than Ari," Zoe had to agree as she took his hand and got to his feet. As he released her hand, Zoe went to speak, but Tori spoke up loudly.

"Just one question Cam," the blue Ranger was smiling at the Samurai. "How did all this happen?" she asked, and the others took this as their chance to ask Cam their questions, and he sighed as only Zoe stayed back, laughing softly as the questions got louder and louder.

1-2-3-4-5

"Dude, let's talk about 'Uncle' Lothor," Shane grinned as Cam finished telling them his story. He had encountered his parents, and discovered that Sensei had had a twin brother, who had been banished and become Lothor. He and Zoe had also explained that they had known each other for years, as their fathers were old friends. "It's crazy bro!" Shane laughed.

"Tell me about it," Cam was not so amused. "Some family tree I have," he grumbled, still not quite able to believe it.

"Cam, Lothor is no relation of ours," Sensei told him firmly. Cam frowned, and turned to look at his father.

"How can you say that?" he demanded, not able to understand how his father could be so separated from it.

"By law, once a ninja is banished, they cease to exist," Sensei told him. "The one I knew as my brother is a mere memory," he stated. Ari tilted her head curiously, wondering if she'd be able to feel the same if it had been one of her brothers. She noticed the look that Hunter and Blake exchanged, and knew they felt the same.

"Don't you think I had a right to know?" Cam continued, irritated that this had been kept from him.

"We all did," Hunter nodded, voicing how the others felt.

"Perhaps, but what would that have changed?" Sensei's question took them by surprise. "Would you have battled him any differently?" he asked, and they all fell quiet, knowing that he was right. Their silence was interrupted as the alarm started to blare, and they all looked up at the screen.

"Speaking of battling," Tori frowned as she looked up at the screen. They all stared as reports of 6 monsters around the city showed up.

"Whoa, dude, they're all over the place!" Shane exclaimed.

"Split up," Sensei told them as he looked around at the recently recovered Rangers. "Rangers, go. Ari, you and Zoe stick together, you have both battled a powerful monster today and have not had the chance to rest. Cam, you will remain here to monitor for further attacks," they nodded.

"I think Ari can handle it," Ari froze and her eyes went wide as Shane clapped a hand on her shoulder. She looked up as everyone looked at him sharply, except for Zoe, who looked very confused at everyone's reactions. "You held your own pretty well against that last freak, so let's see if you can do it again," he told her, before clapping his hand on Cam's shoulder. "See you out there," he told the Green Ranger, before leaving.

"Dude..." Dustin, Hunter and Blake followed him out, wondering just as much as the others what had come over Shane.

"He really expects me to fight well after that?" Ari complained irritably, trying to hide a grin.

"Hey, you got us to help out," Zoe grinned to her, and Ari smiled, nodding.

"True," she agreed, and looked to Tori. "Let's go!" she and Zoe started walking, and Tori put a gentle hand on Cam's arm.

"Green always did look good on you," the Blue Ranger told him with a smile, and he smiled back. Tori turned and followed Zoe and Ari out to fight.

1-2-3-4-5

"Really? This is who we get stuck with?" Ari complained as she and Zoe ran to face their opponent, who was dancing about chasing away civilians.

"Beggars can't be choosers," Zoe shrugged. "Hey, you care to try us on?" she called to the monster, who spun around quickly.

"Gladly!" he ran at them, and the two Rangers jumped out of the way, and planted kicks in his back. Ari then spun and kicked him again as he got to his feet, and Zoe caught him with a powerful punch that made him fly backwards. "You'll pay for that!" the monster was back up, running at them again, but Zoe flipped backwards to avoid his hit and tripped him.

"_Guys, how's it going_?" Dustin called to everyone through their morphers.

"On target!" Ari and Zoe responded with the others. "Solar Blades!"

"Lunar Bow!" they summoned their weapons and as Ari combined her blades and started to spin them, Zoe pulled back on the string, summoning silver energy. "Moon Arrow!"

"Solar Strike!" the two attacks combined, and slammed into the monster, who exploded, defeated. However, as they lowered their weapons, he reassembled, laughing as they stared in disbelief. "Uh...that doesn't normally happen," Ari commented with a frown.

"_Rangers, return to Ninja Ops right away_," Sensei spoke up through their morphers. "_We must regroup_."

"I'll take that as his way of telling us that we're not the only ones with a reassembling monster," Zoe commented.

"Guess not. Run!" the Gold and Silver Rangers took off, running away from their opponent.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ok, since when are the monsters reassembling themselves instead of just growing bigger? I don't like that," Ari commented as she and Zoe returned to Ninja Ops. They paused as they saw the others gathered around a very uncomfortable looking Cam, who had his shirt open.

"So this is what you guys get up to when you're not fighting monsters? Checking each other out?" Zoe adjusted her glasses as they walked over, and the others glanced over before moving out of the way. "Oh what the hell?!" Zoe yelled as Ari shrieked. Zoe put her hands over the 15 year old's eyes, refusing to let her see.

"I got a little too close to that overgrown sucker," the Green Ranger twitched, clearly uncomfortable from the toxin that was running through his veins.

"As a warning, I may be sick," Ari determined, before the computer beeped, earning their attention.

"Starvark has grown," Sensei announced as one of the monsters appeared on the screen. Zoe released Ari's face so she could see as well.

"We'll get the Zords," Shane nodded as he glanced to Tori and Dustin.

"Thunder and Celestial Rangers, can you handle the others?" Sensei requested, and they nodded.

"With pleasure," Hunter smirked, ready to continue fighting.

"Not a problem," Zoe nodded.

"What about me?" Cam whined, scratching at one of the welts. The others glanced to him, and Zoe immediately covered Ari's eyes again as the rest leaned away.

"Uh, Cam? What's that?" Tori asked as she stared at the long hairs that were growing on his fingers. Cam looked down, unable to stop scratching.

"I have no idea," he determined as he looked back up, and they kept staring at him in disgust until Sensei spoke up.

"Rangers, go," he told them. "I will investigate Cam's condition," they happily left, not wanting to look at whatever was happening to the Green Ranger.

1-2-3-4-5

"Back again losers?" the enemy that the Celestial Rangers had fought before turned around as they ran towards him.

"This time you're going down and staying down!" Ari yelled as she called on her Solar Blades again. Before he could move, she slashed across his torso, moving straight past as he cried out.

"We'll make sure of that!" Zoe called as she attacked with her ninja sword. She slashed across several times, before jumping and kicking his head. The monster went flying backwards, straight into Ari's path. Swinging her blades up, she sliced across his back, making the monster cry out in pain.

"_Ari, Zoe, you ok_?" Cam contacted them, sounding just as twitchy.

"Never better!" Ari spun her swords in her hands, and looked to Zoe. The older girl nodded, and they ran at the monster, finishing him off in one final strike.

"_There are another two at the library! Hunter and Blake are on their way there now_," Cam told them as Zoe returned her sword to its sheath.

"We'll meet them there," Zoe told the genius, and looked over to Ari.

"What a day to join the team, huh?" the Gold Ranger grinned, and Zoe laughed, nodding. They ran off to join the Thunder Rangers, meeting them at the library and quickly joining the fight.

"Nice of you to show up," Hunter commented as Zoe kicked the monster back.

"Hey, you guys can't have all the fun, now can you?" she looked to him, and he grinned under his helmet before turning back to the monster.

"That's a weird and possibly gross development," Ari commented as Blake knocked the other monster back.

"I'm leaning more towards gross," Blake commented as he glanced over at the Crimson and Silver Rangers.

"You and me both," Ari agreed, and slashed across the monster's chest in a cross formation. She then spun, hitting him several times as he cried out.

"Let's put them together!" Hunter and Blake combined their weapons as the two monsters were thrown into each other. "Thunder Blaster! Fire!"

"Solar Strike!"

"Moon Arrow!" the three attacks slammed into the monsters, finishing them off.

1-2-3-4-5

"Hey guys!" Cam called as he ran into Ninja Ops, carrying his Samurai Sabre in his hand. "I linked my Samurai Sabre directly to the Ninja Ops mainframe, so I should be able to continue my strategic duties even in the field," he explained, before pausing, his smile disappearing as he found the Rangers standing in front of the computer, grinning widely. "What?" Cam frowned suspiciously. "What are you all smiling about?" he asked, and noticed that Shane was missing. The Rangers laughed and stepped to the side, revealing Shane sitting in his chair, holding green ninja gear. "Wow! Where did that-" Cam stared in amazement, a wide grin spreading across his face as Shane stood up.

"If you're gonna be part of the team, you gotta have the gear," Shane told him with a grin, handing it over as the others nodded.

"It takes a powerful man to choose his own destiny," Sensei spoke as Cam held it against himself excitedly. "Congratulations, no father could be prouder of his son," Cam grinned as they gathered around him, just as excited to have him on the team as he was to be on it.

**Well I would have had this chapter up last night but my laptop decided it didn't want me to, so here you go now!**

**Yay, Shane finally accepts Ari! Took him long enough!**

**I hope you liked it! Let me know what you think! Only one chapter left to write...**


	16. Scent of a Ranger

Chapter 16: Scent of a Ranger

Ari hit the ground hard, grateful for the thick grass that softened the fall, and she looked up at her sparring partner. Zoe grinned down at her, offering a hand.

"You've learned a lot since I last saw you," the Moon Ninja graduate commented as Ari took her hand.

"Well, you did graduate a year ago," she grinned at the blue eyed young woman, who laughed back. As soon as Ari was back on her feet, their sparring continued. Now seeing Zoe's kick to the side of her left leg coming, Ari blocked it and retaliated, knocking her back with several punches that were followed up by a kick. Zoe recovered and pushed back, and the two continued training for another half an hour, before finally stopping.

"It's so refreshing to train against someone again. Especially a Sun Ninja," Zoe commented, and took a swig of water from the bottle she pulled from her backpack.

"It's great to train with a Moon Ninja again. I was getting bored of Wind and Thunder techniques...but don't tell the others," Ari grinned at her, and Zoe laughed again.

"My lips are sealed," the Silver Ranger promised. "So what are you up to now?" she asked as she put her bottle away.

"Uh, some studying, then I'll probably head to the skatepark," Ari looked at her friend, who stared at her.

"Studying?" she asked, sounding almost disbelieving. Ari blushed, and nodded.

"Yeah. One of the conditions of me being here was that I kept up with my studies," she explained. "Cam normally tutors me, but with his Ranger duties, training, and maintaining Ninja Ops, he's been way too busy. I don't mind studying by myself," Ari shrugged, aware that Zoe was still staring at her her.

"Cam needs to find a hobby or something, working constantly is gonna burn him out," she commented after a moment, and Ari nodded.

"Yeah. What about you?" she asked, and Zoe frowned in confusion. "What do you do for fun?" Ari asked curiously.

"Well I snowboard, but that was more of a hobby while I was in the mountains in Europe," the Moon Ninja replied lightly. "I do love Caving though, so I was thinking of checking out places around here," Zoe mused, looking thoughtful as Ari smiled.

"That sounds pretty cool. I forgot you were into Caving. It always drove Sensei Sugiura mad," she laughed, and Zoe's smile faded. "Hey," Ari reached out and put a hand on the older girl's arm. "We're gonna get your dad back. And all the other Ninjas. Don't worry," she smiled reassuringly.

"For a fifteen year old, you're pretty mature," Zoe commented, and Ari's smile widened.

"With the team we have, someone has to be," she winked, and Zoe just laughed, shaking her head. "Laters!" she waved, and headed off as Zoe watched, smiling softly.

1-2-3-4-5

After handing over a bag to a customer, Ari smiled pleasantly and shoved another strawberry into her mouth.

"Do you ever eat anything other than those?" Blake grinned as he leaned on the counter beside her. Ari swallowed, and stuck out her tongue before biting into another.

"I do, but these are awesome," Ari told him, and glanced over to the seats, where Tori was sitting surrounded by books. "Go flirt with her, I have customers to deal with," she told him, and Blake went red.

"You're hilarious," he muttered, but walked over to Tori anyways. Ari went back to eating her strawberries and serving the queue of customers, occasionally glancing over and laughing at Blake as he sprayed Tori in nasty smelling perfume.

"Hey Blake, can you give me a hand?" Kelly called from the back, pulling him away from his crush. Ari just shook her head and shot a grin at the passing Navy Ranger, who scowled back at her.

1-2-3-4-5

After work, the Wind and Celestial Rangers went back to Ninja Ops to find Cam, going to invite him out with them to the beach.

"Hey Sensei, is Cam around?" Shane asked as they walked in and found no sign of the Green Ranger.

"We're gonna meet Blake and Hunter at the beach, and thought he might want to come with," Tori smiled at the Guinea Pig.

"I have not seen him all day," Sensei replied as they looked around.

"He was up late fixing the supercomputer," Ari remembered.

"He's probably still asleep then," Zoe said, and the others nodded in agreement. With how hard Cam had been working, it wouldn't have been surprising.

"Hey! What's up?" they were all surprised when Cam walked in, dressed completely differently and wearing a green hat. He greeted them brightly, calling them all by strange names.

"What are you wearing?" Tori chose to ignore the names and focus on his clothes.

"Cool, huh? I got tired of the same old rags, so I busted out the phat gear," he grinned at them as Ari just stared blankly, and Zoe looked a little confused. Even Sensei looked alarmed. Tori couldn't help but giggle as Shane tried not to laugh, and Dustin looked alarmed.

"We were just going to the beach...and we thought you might want to come with us," the Yellow Ranger spoke slowly, struggling to understand the sight in front of him.

"Dudes, I'm so down with that!" Cam exclaimed, and wrapped an arm around the confused racer. "I could definitely get into chilling on the beach with my peeps!" he put his other arm around Shane.

"...peeps?" Zoe repeated, utterly confused.

"Tori," Shane was tossed out of the way as Cam wrapped an arm around the Blue Ranger. "Might I say, you're looking particularly babelicious this morning?" Cam asked with a grin. Dustin and Shane burst out laughing as Zoe just looked even more confused, and Ari ran her hands through her hair.

"I don't remember falling off my board and hitting my head...did you hit me this morning?" Ari looked at Zoe with wide eyes.

"Thanks...I think," Tori looked just as confused.

"Gotta bail, laters, little furry dude," Cam laughed and walked off.

"Little...furry dude?" Ari repeated as they followed him out of Ninja Ops.

1-2-3-4-5

The Rangers watched as Cam tried out skateboarding, amazed when they found that he was brilliant at it. He shot into the air, spinning before coming back down as they cheered.

"Hey, Shane, he's even better than you," Tori laughed.

"No he's not," Shane scowled. Ari just laughed.

"Why are you laughing? He's better than you," Hunter commented to her as she sat on the railings beside him. She slapped him over the head.

"I don't care, he's having fun, for once," the Gold Ranger looked at Cam as he skated back over.

"Something tells me that she does care," Zoe whispered to Hunter as he rubbed the back of his head. He grinned at her, and Ari rolled her eyes as Dustin laughed.

"I gotta work on my backside nose slide," Cam told them as he skated over to them.

"Dude, where did you learn to skate like that?" Shane asked, his jealousy obvious in his voice.

"And when did you learn to talk like that?" Blake asked, still unused to how Cam was talking and acting.

"Hey, come on, let's hit the waves," Cam decided, running off instead of answering them. Tori's smile dropped instantly as Shane and Blake exchanged confused looks.

Only minutes later, Cam was in the water, surfing the waves like a pro. The Rangers, except the irritated Blue Ranger, cheered him on.

"Hey Tori, he's even better than you," Shane smirked to her as Cam emerged from the water, and the others laughed as Tori turned a fierce glare on him.

"Don't even go there," she growled at him.

"You were awesome out there!" Ari smiled as the Samurai ran over to them, carrying his surfboard under his arm.

"Hey, you know what I've always wanted to try? Motocross!" he suddenly told them, and the three racers burst out laughing. "I think I could bust out some serious lap times!" Cam seemed oblivious to their laughter.

"Moto isn't something you just try," Dustin argued.

"He's right. It can be totally brutal," Hunter agreed with the yellow Ranger.

"Didn't you 'just try' Motocross recently?" Zoe looked to Ari, who nodded with a grin, her arms folded.

"Yeah, man, it's not like riding a little skateboard, or playing in the water," Blake smirked, but it dropped when three glares turned to him. "Hey, uh, no offence, guys," he gulped.

"I would love to see you try out a skateboard. Or have you guys forgotten how many times Hunter fell on his butt trying it out?" Ari smirked to the Crimson Ranger, who went red and scowled at her.

"Whatever, man," Cam just laughed. "I just want to check it out. Come on!" he ran off before they could stop him.

"You know, it sounds like you're worried that he's gonna show you guys up as badly as he did Shane, Tori and Ari," Zoe commented, looking serious, until Hunter turned his glare on her. She broke into a wide smirk, meeting his gaze and not backing down.

"Just wait until he finds a place to go snowboarding," he warned in a quiet voice, which only made Zoe's grin widen.

"That almost sounds like you _know _he's going to beat you," Hunter's glare intensified at Zoe's words.

"Let's leave these two to stare into each others eyes all day and see how Cam finds 'trying out Motocross'," Blake's words made the two jump and look around quickly. The others were already walking away, laughing as the two went red and followed them.

1-2-3-4-5

Shane, Tori, Zoe and Ari watched as several racers hurtled around the track, with Hunter, Blake and Dustin in the lead. At first.

"That's him!" Tori pointed to someone in green motocross gear who was quickly passing all the other racers.

"No way," Ari stared in disbelief.

"That can't be Cam," Shane shook his head, refusing to believe it. They watched as he caught up to the three, and passed them with ease.

"Ok, yeah, I must have hit my head sometime in the last 24 hours," Ari summed up as he passed the finishing line. The four ran over to the racers, congratulating Cam as Dustin pulled off his helmet.

"Ok, that was just wrong," he summed up with a frown. "_Nobody _rides like that first time out," he refused to believe it as Cam pulled off his helmet, grinning widely.

"Next time, I'm gonna really crack the throttle, see what this bad boy can do!" Cam patted the handlebars with excitement.

"There's gotta be something wrong with my bike," Blake shook his head.

"You only finished working on it yesterday," Ari smirked back at him. Tori giggled as Blake frowned at them, before Shane's morpher beeped.

"Go for Shane," he answered as they all looked to him.

"_The city plaza has been invaded. You must go there at once_," Sensei told them.

"All over it," Shane nodded. "Let's go," the others nodded, but as they made to move to the plaza, Cam called out.

"Hey, you're seriously not bailing now?" they all looked around at him quickly. "What about Moto number 2?" he asked.

"Cam, what are you talking about?" Tori frowned at him. "Hello? Aliens?" she reminded him.

"Ok, and that affects me how?" Cam asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Dude, this is the part where we go save the world, remember?" Dustin reminded him with a raised eyebrow, his voice muffled under his helmet. Cam scoffed, shaking his head.

"You know, I am so over this whole Ranger thing," he told them, sounding exasperated.

"Well considering you're the one who fought to become a Ranger, you better get back under it," Ari growled, her eyes narrowed. "Now come on, we have a city to protect," they started to walk again, but Cam didn't move.

"But I know I can shave a few seconds off my lap time!" everyone looked at him, unable to believe him, but nobody spoke. After a moment, Cam rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"Alright, alright, everybody chill," he grumbled, finally agreeing to go.

"Come on then!" Hunter yelled as they revved up their bikes and sped off as the others ran off.

1-2-3-4-5

The group Ninja-streaked towards the battle, landing in the plaza.

"Well, hello!" the latest monster, who resembled a bottle of perfume, greeted them in a high-pitched shriek.

"Hey, freak, we're here to shut you down!" Shane called as they straightened up.

"Oh please!" the monster scoffed. "Don't you know that bright colours are so last year?" she turned her back to them.

"Hey, I didn't know the new model was out," Cam was suddenly distracted by a bright red car nearby. "Sweet!" he exclaimed, and walked off towards it, much to everyone's confusion.

"You gotta be kidding me," Hunter looked at his brother, who looked as blank as he did.

"Something is seriously wrong," Ari shook her head, but before they could call out to the Green Ranger, the monster called on the Kelzacks.

"Ready?" Shane called.

"Ready!"

"NINJA STORM!"

"CELESTIAL STORM!"

"THUNDER STORM!"

"RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Ninja Ranger power!" they ran at the Kelzacks while the monster just laughed at them. Nearby, Cam just stood by the car, looking it over, oblivious to the battle right next to him.

"What is he doing?" Shane asked as he knocked a Kelzack aside.

"Checking out a car?"

"Bad timing much?"

"Hey Cam?" Blake called as he threw a Kelzack back.

"A little help here?" Hunter yelled at him.

"You know, in the battle we're supposed to be fighting?" Zoe called over to him, but Cam just pretended to be driving. Tori and Dustin ran to grab him, only for the monster to step in the way.

"Hello darlings!" she sprayed them with a strange mist, and the two turned into bottles of perfume.

"Tori! Dustin!" Shane yelled as he noticed.

"Let them go!" Hunter blasted her, but she knocked it aside and laughed.

"Say goodbye to your friends! Now they're part of my exclusive perfume line!" she laughed, and disappeared in a cloud. The five remaining Rangers demorphed, and looked to each other, before storming over to Cam. The Green Ranger was lying in the grass eating.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hunter demanded angrily.

"Man, were you not paying attention?" Cam looked up at Blake, who was just as angry as the others. "She just took off with Tori and Dustin!" Cam looked a little vacant as he continued eating.

"Where's your head man?!" Shane demanded.

"Why are you all bagging on me? I didn't do anything!" Cam frowned up at them.

"Exactly!" Hunter barked at him.

"You spent all this time fighting your father and that promise he made to your mother, you finally become a Ranger, part of something bigger, and _this _is what you do with that new power?" Zoe demanded, grabbing Cam by the front of his shirt. She hauled him to his feet with strength that stunned the others, and she slammed him against the car that he had been checking out. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she snarled, her eyes blazing.

"Zoe, calm down," Ari spoke softly, knowing how the Silver Ranger got when she lost her temper. Which was surprisingly easy for her to do.

"Dude, you made me drop my sandwich!" Cam protested, and Zoe's blue eyes blazed. She swung her fist to punch him in the face, but a hand caught her by the wrist and stopped her, an inch from his nose, as Cam let out a frightened yelp.

"As much as we all want to do that, we have better things to be doing," Hunter told her, the look on his face telling them that he wanted to hit the Green Ranger just as much as she did. Zoe sighed, and Hunter released her wrist.

"Come on. We gotta go sniff them out," Shane nodded, and Zoe shoved Cam to the ground before storming off with the others. Ari looked down at Cam with a worried expression, before following the rest away.

1-2-3-4-5

The five Rangers hurried to an abandoned factory, where Sensei had informed them that Tori and Dustin were located.

"It's this way," Shane hissed as they crept around.

"Are you sure?" Hunter frowned, looking around.

"Yeah, this place is empty," Ari couldn't hear a sound. Shane grinned, and clapped Blake on the shoulder.

"When in doubt, follow your nose," Shane tapped his nose, and they all looked up at the sign, which had a giant nose on it. They rolled their eyes, but followed the Red Ranger inside a circular door. Inside was most definitely not abandoned, and was filled with strange devices and liquids in jars.

"Looks like some crazy lab," Blake commented. Ari sniffed, and picked up several different scents.

"This is weird," Shane muttered as they all looked around curiously.

"Guys, I'm here to help," Cam ran in suddenly, gasping for breath and wearing his Ninja Gear.

"Oh, _now _you want to help," Zoe snarled. "You can help by getting lost," she told the Green Ranger, who now looked very confused at the hostility from the Ranger who had been his friend for years.

"Hey!" they all jumped and spun around to see another Cam, this one wearing the motocross gear and green hat. "Dudes, why'd you bail on me like that?" he demanded, looking hurt.

"Yeah, I definitely hit my head. Can I go home?" Ari whined as they looked from one Cam to the other. The one in the Ninja gear shook his head.

"Hey!" the one in the hat grinned as he noticed his double, and walked over to him.

"Oh, man, not another clone story," Shane groaned. "Didn't we already do this?" he asked, and received four blank looks in response.

"Hey, Shane man, it's all good," the one in the hat approached the Red Ranger, who forced him into an arm lock. As he pushed him away, the other Cam protested, before they all winced as Shane flipped him.

"He's not a clone," he told Shane, who frowned and pulled the double up.

"Dude, that was way harsh," he complained.

"He's a virtual replicant. I created him to help out at Ninja Ops," Cam explained. "But, it kinda got out of control," he shot his copy an accusing glare.

"Yeah...sorry about the whole 'tying you up in the closet' thing bro. Guess I got a little overexcited," the copy apologised, having the decency to look a little sheepish.

"I can fix that," Cam frowned, and pressed a couple of buttons on a remote in his hand. The copy disappeared, and Ari sighed in relief.

"Ok, so I didn't hit my head. Good to know," she smiled brightly at the others.

"You annoying little boys and girls!" they all spun around as the Monster appeared behind them. "You found my olfactory factory!" she yelled at them angrily.

"Just so you know, she perfumised Tori and Dustin," Ari told the Green Ranger.

"Meaning she turned them into perfume," Shane translated, and Ari nodded as they all looked back a the perfume monster.

"And now for you to join them!" she fired a blast of dark energy at them, and they dove out of the way.

"NINJA STORM!"

"CELESTIAL STORM!"

"THUNDER STORM!"

"SAMURAI STORM!"

"RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Cyclone morpher, full power!" Cam called on the Samurai Amulet's full power as the others drew their weapons, and they all ran at the monster. She fought them off with a sword of her own, before blasting them again.

"You guys keep her busy," Shane suggested. "I'll go look for the others," they nodded, and Shane ran off as they attacked her again. She was skilled, but their numbers overwhelmed her and forced her back, each striking her with their weapons.

"I've had enough!" she blasted them again, knocking them down, and the blast went further, into the room where Shane had found the people turned into perfume.

"Shane!" they yelled as they heard his yells, but an explosion knocked them off their feet.

"Oh, was the Red Ranger in there? Oh, so sorry!" the monster mocked, not sounding very apologetic.

"Yeah, you're gonna be!" Shane yelled as he emerged, carrying a case under one arm. "I found them! Back off!" he blasted her with his Hawk Blaster as the others got to their feet, and as she crashed to the ground, Shane set the perfume bottles down. Different coloured smoke rose from them as those who were turned into perfume were released.

"Good job," Cam nodded.

"Thanks," Shane grinned up at him, and lifted the last two bottles. "Good thing they're colour coded," he laughed, and released Tori and Dustin from their prisons. They crashed to the ground, disorientated. "You guys ok?" Shane asked as they were helped up.

"How dare you steal my scents!" the monster shrieked angrily.

"You stole them first, we were just releasing them," Zoe shrugged lightly. The monster let out a cry and ran at them, throwing Cam out of the way before taking out the others just as easily.

"Enough!" Cam yelled as she let out a cackle, throwing Ari into a metal desk. "You picked the wrong Green Ranger to mess with!" he growled. "Activate, Super Samurai mode!" Cam threw off his vest, which slammed to the ground and cracked it, as he spun the top half of his helmet around, and drew his sabre.

"Big deal, a sword," she scoffed.

"Excuse me, but it's a sabre," Cam corrected her, sounding insulted. "A Samurai sabre," he tossed the sheath aside as he held the blade in the air. He then ran at her, dodging her attacks and landing his own painful looking blows.

"Go Cam!" Tori cheered as he leapt into the air. He cut down, and kicked her out of the factory. "Samurai Sabre, activate!" with one final, powerful blow, he destroyed her.

"Cam, that was awesome!" Ari cheered as they all ran outside. Before he could respond, the monster reappeared above them, and they leapt back to avoid being stomped on.

"Samurai Star Megazord!" Cam called on his Megazord, leaping into it and leaving the others to watch as he blasted her over and over again, before switching to the Megazord form.

"I am the star here!" the monster got back up, but was overwhelmed by his powerful strikes.

"Come on guys, let's give him some backup!" the others called on their own Zords, and attacked as Zoe watched from the ground. The Wind Megazord attacked in their Lightning Mode, and called on their Ramp Attack. They rolled down the ramp, and slammed into the monster as Cam called on a Power Disk, which held his Bee Spinner. He slammed it into her, and she cried out before crashing to the ground, defeated.

1-2-3-4-5

"Urgh," Dustin made a noise of disgust as they watched into Ninja Ops to see the cloned Cam at the computer.

"Whats up yo?" he grinned up at them.

"Oh no..." Tori groaned.

"I am so not in the mood for this guy," Zoe pinched the bridge of her nose, pushing her glasses down in the process.

"What are you doing here, poser?" Shane asked coldly, and the copy's grin dropped.

"Don't worry, I've reprogrammed him to be totally dedicated to his work," the real Cam walked up behind them, and they looked around. "He'll stay in Ninja Ops from now on," he promised them.

"Yeah, I kept an eye on him this time so he didn't do any more kidnapping and impersonations," Ari grinned from her perch on the railings by the bookshelf.

"Good, cause I don't need any more competition on the track," Dustin grinned at him.

"Hey, don't hate the player, hate the game," Cyber Cam told him, clapping a hand on the Earth Ninja's shoulder.

"His personality still needs a little work," Tori muttered, and Cam just shrugged.

"Yeah, you might want to do something about that, cause I still really want to punch him in the face," Zoe was scowling at Cyber Cam.

"That's my face," the real Cam frowned, looking nervous.

"Don't worry, she won't punch the real you," Ari told him as she jumped down and walked over to him. "Just anyone who pisses her off rarely gets back into her good books. And Zoe has a terrible temper," the Gold Ranger grinned.

"Does she have an off-switch?" Zoe asked, rolling her eyes as she went red.

"We've been wondering since we met her. We were hoping you knew about one," Cam shrugged, and Ari stuck out her tongue at them.

"Hey, Cam, why did you make Cyber Cam so good at sports?" Shane asked curiously.

"I guess because I've never had time to learn any of that stuff," Cam shrugged.

"But now you do, right?" Dustin glanced to Cyber Cam, and back to the Samurai, who nodded with a grin.

1-2-3-4-5

The Rangers watched as Cam sped towards them, cheering with exhilaration before slowing to a stop between Tori and Dustin.

"So what do you think?" Dustin asked with a grin. "Pretty awesome, huh?" he asked, and Cam nodded.

"Wow! Now I know why you love this so much!" Cam grinned widely under his helmet. "I'm ready for another lap," he decided, and sped off on his tiny bike as the rest of them laughed.

"Everybody's gotta start somewhere," Tori smiled as they watched Cam speed down the hill.

"And hey, soon enough he'll be beating you guys for real," Zoe smirked, and the three racers glared at her. "Hey, I'm just saying, you guys got beat by a computer program," she shrugged, looking up at the sky with her hands behind her back.

"You may want to run before they beat you," Ari commented lazily from where she sat. Zoe looked back at them with a mischievous grin, and took off as they chased her, laughing loudly.

**Hope you liked it! Let me know what you think!**


	17. Celestial Partners

Chapter 17: Celestial Partners

Clouds covered the sky as a cool wind blew across the beach, causing the group of Ninjas sparring there to shiver. However, it wasn't felt for long as the group of eight fought amongst each other, performing moves that were signatory of their element and academy.

Ducking under Shane's punch, Zoe got in close to the Red Ranger and pummelled him with punches, before whirling around and taking out Blake with a sweeping kick that sent him sprawling to the ground. Cam stepped over the Navy Ranger and fought Zoe back, while Shane turned to focus on Hunter and Tori. Ari blocked a kick from Dustin, but was pushed back when he followed up with another kick, and she grinned, undeterred as she pressed forwards, going on the offensive.

"Alright guys, I think that's enough!" Shane finally called after knocking Tori to the ground. He helped the Water Ninja up as they all stopped and caught their breaths, and Shane turned to Zoe. "Those were some impressive moves," he commented, and Zoe just shrugged as she adjusted her glasses.

"Thanks, but not really," she replied, not meeting his gaze. "You're just not used to fighting against the Moon Ninja style," she shrugged.

"Even so, you're way above our level," Tori smiled as they gathered around the only one of them that was a graduated Ninja.

"Yeah man, it's nothing to do with styles," Blake brushed sand from his navy and black gear. Zoe blushed; a little overwhelmed by their compliments.

"I gotta go," Ari spoke up as she checked her watch. "I'll see you guys later!" the others called out vaguely, and started asking Zoe questions. Ari just rolled her eyes, and took off. Cam sighed as he put his glasses back on, and turned to the group.

"I have to get back to Ninja Ops, but I'll meet up with you guys at the skate park," he told them, but none of them responded. "Don't forget," he warned.

"We won't!" Dustin called back, still not looking around.

"Good, because Ari really wants us there," Cam told them, before ninja-streaking off back to Ninja Ops.

1-2-3-4-5

Ari swallowed nervously as she looked to her fellow competitors, all of whom were burly and dwarfed the Gold Ranger. She forced herself to breathe out, and pulled out the golden griffin that hung around her neck. Rubbing it for luck, she slipped it back under her shirt, and finally glanced at the crowd.

She managed a smile as she spotted Cam, who stood out like a sore thumb amongst the rest of the crowd who had gathered to watch the junior skateboarding competition. Ari waved to the Green Ranger, who grinned and waved lightly back, but Ari's smile faded when she realised that he was alone. She sighed, turning back to the competition as Cam groaned, putting a hand to his face.

"Thanks for coming out here Cam," when the competition ended two hours later, Ari skated over to the Samurai, who still stood alone. She held the large trophy that read first place on it in her arms, and she was smiling brightly at him. A smile that Cam knew was forced. It didn't take a genius to know that.

"No problem. I didn't realise just how good you were," he commented, impressed by the tricks that she had pulled off in her allotted time.

"A lot of practice, and a lot of scars," Ari told him. Cam knew that was true. Ari was covered in scars from her many falls, and most of the stories that accompanied them were gruesome.

"I have to head back to Ninja Ops, the super computer still needs a little tweaking after dad messed about with it," Cam checked his watch, and Ari nodded, still smiling a fake smile. "You want to come with?" he offered, but she shook her head.

"Nah, I'm gonna go chill for a bit. I'll catch you later for study time though," Ari turned and skated off, waving quickly before turning away. Cam's weak smile dropped, and he frowned, ready to start a massive lecture once he got hold of the other Rangers.

1-2-3-4-5

"You really want me to knock you on your butt again?" Zoe's tone was amused as it echoed through Ninja Ops. Cam frowned as he walked into the main room, and found Zoe and Hunter facing each other as the others watched with wide grins.

"Who says you're gonna knock me on my butt? I'm going to show you how to win, Thunder style," he shot at her and attacked with fast punches and kicks. Zoe dodged and blocked what she could, but his moves were powerful and caused a jolt of pain when she blocked. She managed to get in close, moving to his side. Before Hunter even realised what she was doing, she had caught him by the head with one arm, pulled his arm out as leverage, and swung her leg against the backs of his knees. She flipped him, and the Crimson Ranger crashed to the ground hard as everyone let out sympathetic 'ohhs'.

"I think you broke him," Dustin commented with a grimace.

"Please tell me you didn't kill my brother," Blake was staring at her. The power behind her attack had been intense.

"Nah, he's still alive," Zoe grinned, crouching beside him and poking his side. Hunter let out a groan and rolled over, putting his arms over his head. "See?" Zoe looked up at Blake with an innocent smile.

"If I _ever_ challenge you again, remind me of this moment," he moaned, and Zoe laughed, before noticing Cam.

"Hey, where have you been?" she asked, and everyone looked around at the Samurai, who folded his arms with a glare.

"The skate park," they all froze at his cold words. "You guys forgot about Ari's competition," Cam spoke flatly, walking past them and over to his computer without looking at them.

"No, wait, that's tomorrow isn't it?" Dustin asked with a confused frown.

"It was two hours ago Dustin," Cam sighed heavily as he sat down and started working again.

"Oh man, we are so lame," Shane groaned, putting a hand to his face.

"Lame doesn't even begin to cut it," Zoe pushed her glasses back up and straightened up. "I'm going to go find Ari," she decided.

"Want us to come with?" Tori asked, looking guilty. They all felt terrible for forgetting.

"Nah, it's alright. If we crowd her it might make things worse," Zoe told them, before heading out to find the Gold Ranger.

1-2-3-4-5

Sitting on the top of the ramp, Ari looked out at the sea with a box of strawberries on her lap. Her backpack, with the trophy sticking out of the top, sat beside her on her skateboard. With her legs pulled in close and an almost vacant expression, Ari remained deep in thought as people passed by, shooting her odd glances now and again.

"This is an odd choice for a seat," she jumped and looked down at Zoe, who was looking up at her with her hands on her hips.

"I figured I could be alone here," Ari turned away from her and ate another two strawberries as Zoe sighed, rolling her eyes. She climbed up beside Ari, whose jaw clenched. It was a rare sight. Ari either faked a smile, or cried.

"For what it's worth, we are really sorry," Zoe sat down beside her, carefully moving her skateboard out of the way. "But there's something more than just us missing your competition, isn't there?" she asked softly when Ari just glared at her feet.

"When I first started out as a Ranger, no-one believed in me, except Cam and Sensei," Ari finally spoke, not looking up as Zoe waited patiently. "They just saw me as a kid with weird powers. I had to work so hard to prove myself to the others. Especially Shane," the Red Ranger had finally lightened up around Ari after she had fought with everything she had to retrieve their powers. "And now..." she trailed off, looking conflicted.

"And now I'm here, and nobody is looking at you twice," Zoe finished for her. Ari just nodded, willing herself not to cry. "Ari, you know what guys are like, especially the ones on this team. When something new and shiny comes along, they get distracted. But after the initial awe dies down, they'll stop fussing and realise that the best is right here," Ari went red, and shot Zoe an incredulous look.

"And you call me weird," she muttered, making Zoe laugh. "I just don't want them thinking I can't do this. Because I can," determination gleamed in Ari's eyes as she spoke.

"Of course you can," Zoe confirmed.

"And hey," Ari finally looked at her with a wide grin. "They won't all stop fussing over you. One guy in particular has been infatuated with the shiny new toy," she giggled mischievously as Zoe went red. "And the shiny new toy is just as interested," Zoe went even redder, and slapped her across the back of her head. "Ow, you guys need to stop doing that," Ari scrambled away, still grinning.

"Oh shut up," Zoe grumbled, now the one avoiding eye contact. Ari giggled even more, and started eating her strawberries as Zoe tried to stop blushing.

"You know, if you just told-"

"I am _not _getting dating advice from a 15 year old who hasn't even kissed a guy," Zoe pinched the bridge of her nose as if getting a headache. Ari's grin just widened.

"Now who said anything about never kissing a guy before?" Zoe's head lifted instantly.

"Wait, what? Who? When? Tell me!" she demanded, but Ari just shrugged and shoved a couple more strawberries in her mouth.

"Hey, you don't want to talk, then I won't either," she winked, and Zoe growled in irritation. Ari grinned back, before they heard screaming nearby. They both looked up, and Ari glanced wistfully at her strawberries as she debated internally over what should take priority. "Strawberries...monsters...strawberries...monsters ..." she murmured as Zoe stood up.

"Are you serious right now?" the Silver Ranger cocked an eyebrow. "The city is in danger!" she pointed out.

"Yeah, but these are really good strawberries," Ari argued as she looked back down. Hearing more screaming, she sighed. "Dammit," she grumbled, shoving as many into her mouth before following Zoe towards the fight. They ran away from the beach, and found a monster terrorising the fleeing civilians, cutting off their path by firing what looked like sheets of paper at them rapidly.

"Hey, you want to stop that?" Zoe called as the two stood together, facing him.

"No," the monster scoffed, firing more paper that exploded when it hit the ground near the civilians as they ran away.

"Oh great," Ari rolled her mouth as she spoke with a mouthful of strawberries. "A toddler monster," she ran at him, and the monster spun around. Ari barely managed to dodge his attack, moving to the side, but one of the attacks brushed her cheek, slitting it open. Ignoring the pain and continuing to move, Ari jumped up and slammed her foot into his face, knocking him to the ground. Ari landed lightly, and Zoe ran over to her. "That hurt..." Ari whined as blood dripped down her cheek.

"It's just a paper cut, you'll be ok," Zoe grinned, before the others arrived as well, ready to fight.

"Ari-"

"Don't start apologising," the Gold Ranger rolled her eyes as Tori turned to her, her eyes filled with guilt. "We have something more important to do than soothe my bruised ego," she glanced to the monster, who was getting to his feet.

"She has a point," Shane grinned, and they all turned to face the monster. "Ready guys?"

"Ready!"

"NINJA STORM!"

"CELESTIAL STORM!"

"THUNDER STORM!"

"SAMURAI STORM!"

"RANGER FORM, HA!"

"Ninja Ranger Power!"

"Oh, I'm so scared!" the monster mocked as they stood together. "Not!" he blasted them with more paper, and they dove out of the way.

"Yeah, this guy is really annoying," Zoe rolled her eyes under her helmet.

"I hear that," Dustin nodded. "Lion Hammer!" he called on his weapon and ran at the monster with Zoe, who drew her sword. They hit him with their powerful attacks, and the others ran, joining in with their own weapons. With a yell, the monster blasted them back with his attacks, and they were all thrown back in various directions.

"He's strong," Cam groaned as he used his Samurai Sabre to push himself up.

"We're stronger!" Hunter called as he got to his feet as well.

"He's right!" Shane nodded.

"Well yeah, of course we're stronger," Ari held out her hands. "Solar Blades!" she called on her swords and ran at the monster, hitting him over and over again, before Zoe blasted him from far away with her Lunar Bow. Dustin, Tori and Shane followed up with their ninja swords.

"Let's put them together!" Shane called. "Lets see how your bow does with the rest of us," he looked to Zoe, who nodded.

"Thunderstorm cannon!" they combined their weapons and aimed the cannon at the monster, who ran at them. "Fire!" they blasted it, and destroyed the monster. However, moments later, he reappeared, growing to a height that allowed him to tower over them all.

"Zord time!" Shane called, and Cam called on their Zords. Zoe moved out of the way of a Zord battle, and while Cam's Zord switched into its Megazord form, the other Zords formed the Thunderstorm Megazord.

"You still don't scare me!" the monster fired more attacks, that hit Cam's Samurai Star Megazord, knocking it down.

"Then you're an idiot!" Tori called as the Thunderstorm Megazord advanced on him. He fired an attack at them, but the wings came down and blocked it. He cried out, and the wings thrust out. The Megazord shot into the air, and grasped the cord.

"Lion Blaster, fire!" with a powerful tug, the cord was removed, spinning the wheel that rested on the front of the Megazord. The lion head opened, and fired a powerful finishing move that defeated the monster once again.

1-2-3-4-5

"No! Give them back!" Dustin, Hunter and Blake looked up as Zoe ran in, holding a punnet of strawberries in her hands. A mischievous smile on her face told them instantly what was going in, and moments later Ari ran in, looking distraught.

"Tell me, and I'll give them back," Zoe told her lightly, and Ari let out a cry as she put one of the small pieces of fruit into her mouth and bit into it. "Oh, you're right, these are good," she commented with a laugh, holding them just out of the 15 year old's reach.

"This is a form of bullying you know," Ari complained, pouting. Zoe looked around as the box of fruit was lifted from her hands, and saw Hunter, Blake and Dustin taking some. Ari let out another cry of protest.

"So what's this about?" Dustin asked as he handed the strawberries back to Ari, who smiled brightly and thanked him.

"She won't tell me-"

"Well, it all started because she won't ask out-" Ari interrupted and was herself cut off as Zoe grabbed her head, clamping a hand over the younger girl's mouth. "Mmmph!" Ari struggled, but Zoe just pulled her close.

"Girl talk," Zoe told them simply, shooting the Gold Ranger a glare. Ari just looked innocent back.

"Hey, you know we're really sorry for missing your competition, right?" Blake asked as Hunter watched Zoe very curiously. Ari shrugged, and finally broke free from Zoe's grip.

"It's alright. You missed out, it's your loss, not mine," she grinned at them as all three looked apologetic. "Besides, there'll be more," Ari told them, waving it off and shoving another strawberry into her mouth. "And you, stay away from my strawberries," Ari warned Zoe, who smiled softly as Ari walked into the back.

"Anyone else just as freaked by how she can be like, way mature sometimes?" Dustin asked with a grin.

"Only because the rest of the time she's as big a goof as you," Blake elbowed him with a grin, and they all laughed. Zoe smiled, and caught Ari's eye as she peeked out at them, and the Silver Ranger winked at her. Ari smiled back, and started working, feeling a little better.

**Yay update!**

**I got the idea of the move that Zoe pulls off on Hunter from Attack on Titan, when Annie takes down Reiner and Eren in episode...8 or so...**

**Hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think!**


	18. I Love Lothor

Chapter 18: I Love Lothor

"Ariel Raynes, I swear that if you eat any more of those strawberries, I will smack you so hard this spoon will break," Ari paused, a strawberry halfway to her open mouth, as Zoe growled deeply. Smiling innocently, Ari popped it into her mouth and dodged Zoe's attack.

"Behave now children," Tori warned, but was smiling as Ari ducked behind her to avoid Zoe's wrath. "And you," the Blue Ranger looked down at Ari as she stuck her tongue out. "Stop eating the fruit. It's for the show," Ari pouted, but nodded, looking wistfully at the strawberries.

"Hey, what's this?" they looked around as the guys walked in, looking curiously at the rows of chairs.

"Real Sport Pro Cook-Off?" Shane frowned sceptically.

"Yeah?" Tori's voice had the edge of warning in it. One that, of course, none of the male Rangers heard.

"Since when is cooking an action sport?" Dustin asked with a grin.

"Well I imagine that if you lot tried cooking, it would be," Ari grinned, and yelped when Zoe slapped her hand, having noticed her inching towards the fruit again.

"And when you have to chase Ari away from the fruit, it's definitely no walk in the park," Kelly rolled her eyes. "Real Sport Pro Drinks has chosen Storm Chargers to host a series of cooking demonstrations," she explained.

"Dude, this stuff is nasty, I don't care how you cook it," Dustin shook his head, refusing to accept it.

"Or how much of the ingredients Ari steals," Kelly, Zoe and Tori turned to frown at Ari, who smiled innocently, putting her hands behind her back.

"Stick around, you might be surprised," Tori challenged as Kelly just laughed. The four looked very doubtful. Blake stole some of the fruit, making Ari giggle. Zoe slapped the Navy Ranger's hand, scolding him silently, and swatted Hunter away as he walked over and grabbed a piece of pineapple. He dodged easily and smirked back as Zoe frowned at him.

"Hey," they all looked around as Cam walked in, smiling at them.

"Cam, you're taking cooking?" Shane smirked as he stood beside Blake, who was nursing his hand. The other guys started to laugh, and Cam rolled his eyes, his smile fading.

"Look, Tori wanted someone to take the class with her, and dad said I should get out more. So here I am," he explained.

"Yeah, but cooking class?" Shane laughed regardless, but their laughter stopped abruptly as a group of young women walked in.

"It has his advantages," Cam grinned back, and they all gaped, unable to believe that they hadn't thought of it.

"Dude's got a point..." Dustin admitted, following them round to sit beside them. Hunter stole a piece of apple and barely dodged Zoe's strike. He grinned at her, and took a seat with Shane and Dustin. Zoe and Ari took seats beside Tori, with Zoe hitting Ari when she noticed her smirk, and Cam took a seat on Tori's other side. When Cam whispered something to Tori that made her laugh, Blake frowned, still standing at the front.

"Great..." he muttered, before noticing Ari watching him, any trace of a smile gone as she watched him curiously. He just shrugged, and took a seat, letting the show begin.

1-2-3-4-5

Once the show was over, everyone was invited up to try the drink that Kelly had dubbed the 'Storm Charger Smoothie'. Ari grabbed a glass and took a sip.

"It's alright," she mused to Zoe, who took a drink of her own.

"Whoa...that tasted weird," Blake commented as he looked at the glass in his hand curiously.

"Let me try," Cam took a drink as well, and frowned. Shane took it from him, and drank some as well, finishing the glass.

"Not very sweet, is it?" Tori frowned, not too impressed by it.

"Nothing will ever be as sweet as you," Cam told her with a loving smile, taking them all by surprise. Ari and Zoe exchanged very confused and shocked looks.

"Uh...thanks, I guess," the Blue Ranger wasn't exactly sure how to deal with his words, and looked to Blake, only to find him gazing at her with the same look. "Why are you grinning at me like a lovesick baboon?" Tori asked uncertainly, but there was a hint of a blush spreading across her face.

"Because he is one," everyone else stifled giggles at Cam's snipe. "Go swing from a tree and let the humans have a conversation," Cam growled at Blake as everyone just watched. Blake threw powder at him, glaring at him.

"Guys, shouldn't we say something?" Zoe asked, turning around to the others. Shane's response, however, was not one she expected. He moved in close and kissed her, and everyone froze around them. After her initial shock wore off, Zoe shoved him back, looking horrified as she backed away, straight into Hunter. Unable to speak, she looked up at the Crimson Ranger, whose expression was completely blank.

"Why say anything when actions speak louder than words?" Shane spoke as if Zoe hadn't shoved him away. The Silver Ranger shot him a horrified look, and pushed past the crowd, running out of Ninja Ops. Ari looked from her, to Shane as he gazed after her, to Hunter, who had now turned away, and groaned, before following her friend out of Storm Chargers.

1-2-3-4-5

"Zoe? Zoe!" Ari called after the Silver Ranger, who hadn't stopped running. Finally, the light brown haired girl slowed to a stop, and Ari caught up to her, breathing heavily. "Zoe..." she walked towards her slowly, and put a hand on her arm.

"What _was _that back there?!" Zoe shrieked, spinning around. Tears were stinging her blue eyes, and she looked completely confused. "Why did he do that? Since when does Shane like me?" she demanded as Ari watched her. She ran her hands through her hair, messing it up and causing it to fall into her face.

"Something's affected him," Zoe stopped freaking out when Ari spoke softly. "You saw what happened with Cam and Blake. Blake may be really obvious with his crush on Tori, but Cam would _never _say that kinda stuff. Not in front of everyone anyway," Ari shook her head, and folded her arms. "And Shane has been crushing on some girl he met on the beach while Tori was surfing the other week," she added.

"You're not as blind as everyone says you are, are you?" Zoe finally calmed down and managed a shaky smile, wiping the tears from her eyes before they could spill over.

"Just because I'm not interested in romance doesn't mean I don't understand it. Or that I don't see it in Blake and Tori. Or you and Hunter," Ari replied softly, and Zoe's smile dropped as more tears welled up in her eyes. She had seen the hurt in Hunter's eyes, even if he'd tried to disguise it. "We'll figure out what's going on with the guys, and he'll understand," Ari smiled reassuringly at her, and Zoe couldn't help but return it.

"Thanks Ari. You're definitely weird," she laughed lightly, and messed up Ari's hair.

"So I've been told," the Gold Ranger shrugged. "Now come on, whatever has messed with Shane, Cam and Blake, I'm pretty sure was in that smoothie that they shared, so let's go back and hope that Kelly hasn't cleared it all up," she grinned, and they headed back to Storm Chargers to find out what was going on.

1-2-3-4-5

As soon as they walked into Storm Chargers, Zoe and Ari groaned. Everything had been cleaned up, including the leftover smoothies. Ari frowned, and sniffed the air.

"Hey Kel, why does it smell cleaner in here than it did before?" Ari asked as they walked over to the owner.

"A food fight broke out," Kelly scowled, before looking around as Hunter and Dustin walked in. "There would be two of the culprits," she frowned, and walked off. Hunter's expression went flat as he saw the two, and Ari sighed as Zoe looked down sadly.

"Where'd you guys go?" Dustin asked, apparently oblivious to the tension. "You missed an awesome food fight," he grinned, and Ari grinned back.

"So I heard. Kelly isn't too impressed," she glanced to the red head, who was sitting down talking to a couple of girls in the seats. "We needed some air," Ari shrugged, and they took seats as well as Kelly cleared her throat, shooting them looks that indicated for them to sit down.

"And now we'll be following the Real Sport executive chef's appearance on the cooking channel," Kelly smiled to the other viewers, and hit play on the remote that turned on the TV. They all frowned when, instead of the Real Sport show, a picture of Lothor showed up, with the words 'I Love Lothor' beside him. Frowning, Kelly tried switching channels, but it was on each one.

"I read the TV listings every week, and I'm pretty sure this wasn't in there," Dustin frowned, looking from Hunter, to Ari and Zoe.

"Better check this out," Ari sighed, getting to her feet. She had the suspicion that whatever was affecting Cam, Blake and Shane, had something to do with this. The four ran out of Storm Chargers, and found a place that was out of view so that they could contact Sensei.

"Hey Sensei, have you noticed anything weird showing up?" Zoe asked as she lifted her morpher up to her mouth.

"_Yes. Lothor is using subliminal signals in his broadcast to make people fall in love with him,_" Sensei responded instantly, having been about to contact them.

"Those must be some serious signals," Dustin grimaced.

"Well I think I'm going to be sick," Ari announced in a dry voice.

"We have to shut down that broadcast," Hunter growled, standing beside Zoe but refusing to raise his eyes past her morpher.

"_Hurry. I will try to reach the others_," Sensei told them.

"Good luck with that," Ari muttered, frowning. "Where's the studio it's being broadcast from?" she asked, before screaming reached them. They looked up and moved to the other side of their hiding place to avoid being seen, while a crowd of screaming women ran past. When they passed and the screaming faded, Zoe opened her eyes and looked up with wide eyes at Hunter, who was pressed against her, his face very close to hers as Dustin pressed into his back, and Ari leaned against the wall, watching the fans.

"I'm going to take a stab at this, and say we follow them," Ari determined, and Dustin nodded. They took off, allowing Hunter to step back. He hesitated for a moment before doing so, his eyes not leaving Zoe's until he turned and followed the Yellow and Gold Rangers towards the TV studios. Zoe adjusted her glasses, very aware of her heart pounding painfully against her chest, and ran after the three.

1-2-3-4-5

It wasn't hard to find the studio where Lothor was filming his bizarre show, as those who had been taken over by his love spell had gathered outside, screaming their undying love for the evil Ninja. The four Rangers skidded to a stop, staring with wide eyes.

"We gotta get them out of there," Hunter spoke from his perch, looking down at the other three.

"Hey! You're all under a spell! You're not actually in love with Lothor!" Ari's yell was heard by the entire crowd, who quieted down and looked around sharply.

"How would you know?!" Kelly spoke up, looking angry. "We love Lothor!" she insisted, and they all nodded in agreement. "Get them!" the screaming started and the women started chasing them.

"Real nice!" Zoe yelled as they turned and ran away from the crowd.

"Hey, you wanted them away from the studio didn't you?" Ari defended with a laugh, seeming to be enjoying herself. As they turned a corner, hands suddenly grabbed Zoe, and she cried out as she was pulled into a doorway by Shane.

"Zoe!" Hunter reacted the fastest, turning and running back, but as Ari and Dustin went to follow, they were chased off by the crowd of angry fans as they caught up to them.

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" Shane grinned at Zoe, who looked alarmed. "Zoe, I want to tell you, I really, _really_, like you," he told her breathlessly.

"No you don't," his smile dropped as Zoe spoke softly, not reacting as Hunter stood beside her. "It's a love spell, just like what Blake and Cam are going through," Hunter looked down in surprise, watching her curiously as Shane frowned.

"No, it's no spell! I love you Zoe!" he insisted as he moved closer. Zoe moved backwards, shaking her head as Shane grew more and more frustrated.

"Dude, step back, you're just freaking her out," Hunter finally spoke up, moving slightly in front of the Silver Ranger instinctively. She looked up at him in surprise, but he just stared down Shane. "I don't know what's going on, but that's not you bro. You wouldn't push her when you know she doesn't feel the same," Shane scowled at his words.

"You're only saying that because you like her and you want her for yourself!" he pointed at Hunter accusingly.

"That's not the only reason," Zoe's eyes widened and she went red. "You're under a spell, and the way you're acting is just weird," Hunter growled at Shane, who let out an angry yell, but as he went to hit Hunter, he suddenly staggered, and a pink heart floated from his chest, into the air, before popping.

"Wha...what happened?" Shane groaned, putting a hand to his head.

"Looks like Ari was right about the spell thing," Zoe mused, and Hunter looked around at her quickly, his eyes widening. The blush hadn't faded from his face, or hers.

"You mean you weren't sure?" he demanded in disbelief. Zoe couldn't help but laugh, her tinkling laugh filling the air as she couldn't stop.

"You saw how he was, there's no way he wasn't," she laughed, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye.

"Oh man..." Shane groaned as his memories returned to him.

"Guys!" Ari and Dustin reached the three, and they looked around. "Whoa, I'm guessing we missed a lot," Ari grinned as she saw their expressions.

"Yeah, Shane looks back to normal," Dustin nodded, poking his friend's cheek. Shane slapped him away, and Dustin laughed. "Definitely back to normal," he grinned to Ari, who laughed. "We have to get to the beach. The others are there," he told them, and they nodded, running to find the other three of the group.

1-2-3-4-5

When the five Rangers reached the beach, already morphed, they found Tori on the ground, her visor down, and Blake and Cam were swaying, seeming to have taken a beating.

"Tori!" Shane and Hunter helped her to her feet as they reached her. "What happened?" Shane asked as she looked to them, her face scrunched up in pain.

"I don't know...but I got worked," Tori fell back down, unable to stand on her own.

"Tori!" Blake and Cam ran over, checking to see if she was alright as well. They all looked up when a giant rat appeared above them, a heart on his chest.

"This is the big time!" he declared as they looked up.

"We'll handle this one, right Cam?" Blake looked to the Green Ranger as they all stepped back.

"Yeah, he's all ours!" the Samurai agreed. "Come on!" he ran to call on his Megazord, and Blake looked to his brother, and they called on their Thunder Zords. The other five watched as they formed their Megazords, not complaining that they were doing the heavy lifting. Ratwell dodged their attack, and the Thunder Megazord blocked an attack that would have collided with the Samurai Megazord. The two then combined, taking everyone by surprise.

"Check it! A new combo Megazord!" Dustin yelled with a grin.

"That's amazing!" Tori smiled, leaning on the Earth and Air Ninjas. It didn't take long with the new Samurai Thunder Megazord combo, and they defeated Ratwell with a powerful attack.

1-2-3-4-5

"Zoe, Ari! Hey!" the Silver and Gold Rangers looked around to see Hunter and Shane run towards them on their way to Ninja Ops, carrying several buckets of fried chicken. "Zoe, I just wanted to apologise for what happened," Shane rubbed the back of his neck as he looked to the blue eyed young woman, who smiled weakly back.

"It's alright, you were under a spell, I know you weren't in control," she told him, and he gave a weak smile back. "What's with the chicken?" she asked, unable to hide her curiosity, and Shane's grin returned.

"You'll see. Come on," he looked to Hunter, who hesitated.

"You go on. I want to talk to Zoe," he told Shane, who glanced to Ari. The pair rolled their eyes, and nodded. The two disappeared down into Ninja Ops, and Zoe turned to Hunter, her arms folded. "Alright, I'm not good at this stuff, so here goes. When Shane kissed you earlier, I didn't like it," Hunter admitted, going red and not looking at Zoe. "I meant what I said to him. I do...like you," he was mumbling by the end.

"Ok, so what are you going to do about it?" he looked up sharply and found Zoe's expression serious.

"Wh...what?" not understanding her question, Hunter frowned at her. Zoe sighed, rolling her eyes and taking a step closer.

"You said that you like me. That you didn't like it when someone else kissed me. So, what are you going to do about that?" Zoe repeated, her expression not wavering despite the steady blush spreading across her face.

"What am I going to do?" Hunter repeated her words, and his resolve strengthened. He stepped closer, looking down at the Moon Ninja. "I'm going to do this," his words were quiet as he put his hand on the side of her face and pulled her into a soft kiss. Zoe wrapped her arms around his neck, stepping even closer so that she was pressed up against him, and deepened the kiss.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" Ari's voice reached them, and she peeked out of Ninja Ops, a hand over her eyes. "Making out?" she grinned widely.

"Shove off Ari," Zoe broke the kiss long enough to yell at the Gold Ranger, before Hunter pulled her back in and resumed it, unable to tear himself away from the Moon Ninja in his arms. Ari just giggled.

"I would, but the others want you down here," with a hand still over her eyes, Ari turned to go back down. "Don't make them come up here and get you," she warned, before disappearing. The two sighed, and broke apart. Zoe winked to Hunter, pressing more brief kiss to his lips before pulling out of his grip and heading down to Ninja Ops. As soon as she walked in, Zoe slapped Ari over the back of the head, and the Gold Ranger laughed, scrambling away to hide behind Cam as Shane and Hunter walked in with a plate of fried chicken, claiming that it was 'home-made' and 'from the heart'.

"Who ordered take-out?" Dustin called as he arrived, walking down the stairs with a bucket of chicken in his arms. The grins dropped straight off Hunter and Shane's faces as realisation dawned on Tori.

"Since when does _homemade _food come in a bucket?" she asked playfully.

"Busted," Dustin grinned guiltily, and everyone laughed, grabbing a piece each to eat. Zoe and Hunter locked gazes, and Zoe winked at him, making him grin before she shoved a piece of chicken into his mouth, laughing giddily as he caught her hand, linking her fingers with his.

**I'm so sorry for not updating sooner, but I hit a bit of a block, and I've been so busy lately since I started my new job that I've barely had time to write!**

**I hope you like it anyway!**


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